Authorities have reported the passing of a third individual at the Burning Man festival, following the recent announcement of two other fatalities at the annual event in the Nevada desert. The Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office disclosed that Armando Ramirez, a resident of Truckee, Calif., passed away while being transported to a hospital in Reno, Nev., approximately 190 kilometers south of the festival. Ramirez, aged 51, was declared deceased in the ambulance during the early hours of Friday. The examiner’s office mentioned that the cause and manner of death are pending further testing and assured there were no suspicions of foul play.
The festival, known for its focus on art installations and self-expression during its week-long duration in the desert, had previously confirmed the deaths of two other attendees, as verified by the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday. Craigh Mann, aged 60, was discovered deceased on Saturday around 3 p.m. local time in a trailer he shared with his partner, according to the festival’s statement. Additionally, a man in his mid-50s, identified as Sampson Tshombe by the sheriff’s office, suffered a medical emergency and was pronounced dead after receiving urgent medical attention at the festival’s temporary hospital on Thursday.
Although no foul play was suspected in the deaths of Mann and Tshombe, authorities indicated that both individuals would undergo autopsies and toxicology screenings, with results expected within six to eight weeks. This year commemorates the 40th anniversary of the festival, which commenced on August 30 and concluded on Monday. Each year, a multitude of individuals gather in the desert for camping and avant-garde performances, culminating in the symbolic burning of a large wooden sculpture resembling a man.
Tragically, deaths have occurred during previous editions of the festival, with over half a dozen reported fatalities since its relocation from Baker Beach in San Francisco to the Black Rock desert in 1990. Pershing County Sheriff and Coroner Jerry Allen stated that the festival typically records one fatality annually, according to NBC News.