Authorities have verified the passing of a third individual at the Burning Man festival, following confirmation of two other fatalities during the yearly event in the Nevada desert. The Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office announced on Tuesday that Armando Ramirez from Truckee, Calif., lost his life while en route to a hospital in Reno, Nev., approximately 190 kilometers south of the festival. Ramirez, aged 51, was declared deceased in the ambulance early on Friday. The examiner’s office stated that the cause and manner of death are pending additional tests and assured that there were no suspicions of foul play.
The festival, known for its focus on art installations and self-expression, reported the deaths of two other attendees last week. Craigh Mann, 60, was discovered deceased on Saturday around 3 p.m. local time as per festival officials. The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office, referring to him as Craig Mann, mentioned that he was found in a trailer he shared with his partner. Another festival-goer, a man in his mid-50s identified as Sampson Tshombe, had a medical emergency and passed away after receiving immediate medical attention at the festival’s temporary hospital on Thursday, as confirmed by the sheriff’s office.
Authorities highlighted that foul play was not suspected in the deaths of Mann and Tshombe, but both cases will undergo autopsy and toxicology screenings, with results expected in six to eight weeks. This year commemorates the 40th anniversary of the festival, which kicked off on August 30 and wrapped up on Monday. Thousands of individuals annually gather in the desert for camping and avant-garde performances, culminating in the symbolic burning of a large wooden sculpture resembling a man.
The festival, which has witnessed fatalities in the past, has reported over half a dozen deaths since relocating from Baker Beach in San Francisco to the Black Rock desert in 1990. Pershing County Sheriff and Coroner Jerry Allen mentioned in a statement on Monday that the festival averages one fatality per year, according to NBC News.