World enews: Burning Man death caused by suspected drug intoxication

A California man likely died at the mud-impacted Burning Man festival from drug intoxication, a coroner’s office has said.

Leon Reece, 32, was found unresponsive on the remote and weather-hit Nevada festival grounds on Friday evening, according to authorities.

The exact cause and manner of Reece’s death are still pending but the Washoe County Medical Examiner’s Office said in a statement on Tuesday that drug intoxication was suspected.

Deputies were called to the festival grounds at 6.24pm local time on Friday but because of “the unusual rain event happening on the Playa, access to the area and investigative efforts were delayed,” stated the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office.

Reece, of Truckee, California, was declared dead at the scene by first responders.

The festival was hit by wet weather which turned the grounds into a mud bath with roads in and out flooded and impossible to pass.

Festival-goers were encouraged to conserve food and water over the weekend with some deciding to hike more than five miles to the nearest passable road to get out.

On Monday it was taking people in vehicles up to eight hours to leave the site, but on Tuesday that had dropped to around three hours.

The annual burning of the man went ahead on Monday evening, after being delayed by the weather.