Everything sounds just about awful at Burning Man.. torrential rains in Vegas and a muddy–really muddy–ground has caused chaos.. Gridlock as well as 70,000 are basically “stuck in the mud.” Like really..
But adding to the chaos and drama are rumors of a bloody virus making the rounds. Ebola, we are told, is on the ground. In the mud. In the chaos.. in the madness…
One man is also reported to have died at the event, with police saying investigations are ongoing.
Here is how the Burning Man Ebola rumors seemingly began: Social media … X marked the spot. Formerly Twitter (how long do we have to say X is formerly Twitter?).. on Saturday (September 2), with some accounts showing fake screenshots supposed to look like the Center For Disease Control ..
But EBOLA rumors aside, there are valid worries on the ground.
Since early Saturday, all entry and exit points of the Burning Man festival remained closed due to the thick, alkaline mud. As of 0900 ET Sunday, event organizers said, “The gate and airport in and out of Black Rock City remain closed. Ingress and egress are halted until further notice. No driving is permitted except emergency vehicles.”
Organizers continued to advise the 73,000 attendees to “conserve food and water, and shelter in a warm space.”
The Independent confirmed local officials had reported at least one death but have not released details on the suspected cause of death. A major concern is that the toxic alkali dust that makes up the lake bed is now three inches of mud, and if attendees aren’t wearing socks and closed shoes, it can cause chemical burns called “Playa Foot.”
There seems to be still a chance of fire.
Organizers for the Burning Man festival, which is currently experiencing severe weather, still plan to host its culminating event tonight — the burning of a large wooden effigy!
“We plan to burn the Man at 9:30pm Sunday September 3 weather permitting,” organizers said in a series of social media posts.
Officials urged attendees not to try to leave the event grounds, and promised more information later in the day.
DEVELOPING…