Man found dead at Burning Man festival in Nevada

Music and arts event attracts tens of thousands of artists, musicians and activists to Black Rock Desert

Black Rock City in Nevada, the site of the annual Burning Man festival, which attracts around 70,000 people. AP

A murder investigation has been launched after a man was found dead in a pool of blood at the Burning Man music festival in the Nevada desert, US authorities said.

The man was found dead on Saturday at the gathering in the Black Rock Desert, about 175km north of the Nevada city of Reno.

Authorities found "a single white adult male lying on the ground, obviously deceased”, the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office said on Sunday.

He was discovered as the "Man", the large structure which gives the festival its name, was beginning to burn, the BBC reported.

People who were at the festival have been interviewed and the area where the body was found in the makeshift encampment, called Black Rock City, has been cordoned off. The identity of the dead man was not immediately known, the sheriff’s office said. No other information was released. The body was taken to a medical examiner's office.

Sheriff Jerry Allen said "several participants in the immediate area" were interviewed.

He said: "Although this act appears to be a singular crime, all participants should always be vigilant of their surroundings and acquaintances."

Burning Man officials said they were co-operating with law enforcement and asked participants in Black Rock City to not interfere with their investigation. “The safety and well-being of our community are paramount,” it said.

The festival was due to end on Monday. The annual gathering in the Black Rock Desert attracts tens of thousands of artists, musicians and activists each year for a mix of wilderness camping and avant-garde performances, highlighted by the burning of a large wooden effigy of a man.

- With inputs from AP