Two dead and about 15 people missing after flash flood in Grand Canyon

At least two people have been confirmed to have been killed and about 15 people remain missing after a major flash flood hit the Grand Canyon in the US state of Arizona, authorities said.

The National Park Service (NPS) reported on Monday that a second body has been recovered as the search continued. The body of a 46-year-old man was recovered on Sunday evening near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River, the park service said earlier, without providing additional details.

The flood occurred on Saturday afternoon in the area of Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch, the NPS said, where at least 60 people were evacuated. The flood swept large boulders, metal structures and other debris into the Colorado River.

The NPS said in a social media post on Monday that “search and recovery efforts continued for about 15 people still missing,” and that “visitors are asked to remain out of the closure area” while the search-and-rescue operations continue.

“The National Park Service is asking the public to provide information for approximately 15 individuals who may be missing or unaccounted for following a significant flash-flood event,” it said in a statement.

The flooding in Bright Angel Creek, which flows into the Colorado River, wiped out footbridges over the creek and significantly altered the landscape, widening the creek bed and creating what appeared to be a new river rapid.

Popular tourist spots, including the Bright Angel Campground, Phantom Ranch and parts of the North Kaibab Trail, remained closed on Sunday while park officials surveyed the damage, the park said. Rafting trips on the Colorado River also have been halted for now.

Parth Desai was hiking through a narrow passage in Bright Angel Canyon with a group of fellow doctors and a park ranger when the downpour started.

“We saw the creek flood, waterfalls coming up out of nowhere; boulders, mud, landslides happening everywhere,” he told The Associated Press news agency.

“This is a reminder of what a dynamic and active landscape Grand Canyon is,” Jack Schmidt, director of the Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University, told AP.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety helped with evacuations on Sunday, according to AP.

“My heart is with the families and loved ones of every person unaccounted for after the flash flooding at the Grand Canyon,” Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs said in a social media post.

The state’s Department of Emergency and Military Affairs was coordinating with the park service and county emergency management officials in search and recovery efforts, Hobbs said.

The flood also knocked out the only water pipeline that serves residents and tourists, the park service added, indicating that “approximately 40 percent of the Transcanyon Waterline was damaged or destroyed”.

Tourists will not be able to stay overnight at lodges and hotels within Grand Canyon National Park “until further notice”, the park said on Monday, due to the main water line being out of service.

“These measures are crucial for ensuring the safety and sustainability of water resources,” the park said in a statement.

About half an inch to 1 inch (1 to 2.5 cm) of rain fell within about 20 minutes on a rocky slope where there’s a steep drop in elevation, said National Weather Service meteorologist Darren McCollum in Flagstaff. The deluge was preceded by two smaller systems that drenched the area hours earlier.

“So when the main storm moved in, torrential rain fell on everything that was already soaked, and that caused all the problems that we’re seeing,” McCollum said.

More rain and thunderstorms were forecast for the area into Monday.