Authorities have confirmed a third fatality at the Burning Man festival, following previous reports of two deaths during the annual event in the Nevada desert. The Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office disclosed that Armando Ramirez from Truckee, California, passed away while en route to a hospital in Reno, Nevada, approximately 190 kilometers south of the festival. The 51-year-old was declared deceased in the ambulance early Friday morning. The cause and manner of death are awaiting additional test results, with no suspicion of foul play.
The festival, known for its art installations and emphasis on self-expression, announced two other fatalities last week. Craigh Mann, aged 60, was discovered deceased on Saturday around 3 p.m. local time. The festival’s statement was corroborated by the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office, which identified him as Craig Mann and revealed that he was found in a trailer he shared with his significant other. Another attendee, a man in his mid-50s identified as Sampson Tshombe, suffered a medical emergency and was pronounced dead after receiving urgent medical attention at the festival’s temporary hospital on Thursday.
Authorities have ruled out foul play in the deaths of Mann and Tshombe, but autopsies and toxicology screenings will be conducted, with results expected in six to eight weeks. This year marks the festival’s 40th anniversary, starting on August 30 and concluding on Monday, drawing tens of thousands of participants to camp in the wilderness and engage in avant-garde performances, culminating in the symbolic burning of a large wooden man sculpture. While it is not uncommon for deaths to occur during the festival, with over half a dozen reported since its relocation from Baker Beach to the Black Rock Desert in 1990, Pershing County sheriff and coroner Jerry Allen mentioned that the event typically sees an average of one fatality annually.
