False Alarm: No Ebola outbreak at Burning Man festival

livemint.com:

AP, the Burning Man festival is a yearly assembly that takes place in the Black Rock Desert, situated approximately 110 miles (177 kilometers) north of Reno. It draws nearly 80,000 participants, including artists, musicians, and activists, who come together for a unique blend of wilderness camping and innovative artistic performances. The event has experienced interruptions in recent years, with the festival temporarily shutting its entrances in 2018 due to dust storms.

Additionally, it faced two complete cancellations during the pandemic. As reported by AFP, a vast number of festival attendees found themselves marooned in the Nevada desert's muck as rain transformed the traditional Burning Man event into a swampy terrain. Amid these challenging conditions, authorities were probing a reported fatality.

Video clips depicted participants, known as "burners," in elaborate costumes navigating the damp, muddy grounds. Some resorted to using trash bags as makeshift footwear, and numerous vehicles became ensnared in the thick, wet mud. “A little over 70,000 people remained stranded Saturday, Nathan Carmichael, with the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office, told CNN, adding, “Some people have left the site by walking out but most of the RVs are stuck in place." According to a White House official, President Joe Biden had been briefed on the situation in the desert, AFP reported.

"Event attendees should listen to state and local officials and event organizers," the official said, adding that the administration was in touch with local authorities. In the previous year, the festival faced extreme challenges, including a severe heatwave and powerful winds. Burning Man, which originated in 1986 in San Francisco, strives to be an event