LOS ANGELES, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- More than 20 people may be missing or unaccounted for following a flash flood in Grand Canyon National Park in the U.S. state of Arizona, authorities said Sunday.
The "significant flash-flood event" occurred in Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area on Saturday, the U.S. National Park Service said in a news release. It urged "anyone who knows of hikers or backpackers who were in the inner canyon along the Bright Angel Creek corridor on August 29, as well as anyone who had a campground reservation in the affected corridor, to provide information to the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch."
Park officials said they are continuing evacuation and response efforts in coordination with the Arizona Department of Public Safety, while working to account for individuals who may have been in the affected area.
Park officials said in an earlier news release that a total of 62 individuals had been evacuated from the area as of Sunday morning, with additional evacuations scheduled for later Sunday.
The flash flood caused significant damage to infrastructure throughout Bright Angel Canyon. Nearly all footbridges spanning Bright Angel Creek were destroyed, preventing hikers from crossing the creek, according to park officials.
Officials said parts of Grand Canyon National Park had been closed and the Colorado River was closed to river traffic until further notice due to metal structures and debris entering the river.
They also warned that additional thunderstorms and heavy rainfall were possible Sunday and Monday, potentially causing further flash flooding, debris flows and rockfall as well as changing trail and river conditions.
