A rockslide in Yosemite National Park killed two people on Tuesday.
The rockslide occurred around 9 a.m. local time on El Portal Road near Big Oak Flat Road in the national park, according to KFSN-TV, an ABC affiliate in Fresno, California.
The identities of the two people have not been released, pending notification to their families.
“We do have two coroner cases that are a result of the rockslide,” Kristie Mitchell, public information officer for the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office, told the Sacramento Bee.
The falling rocks closed El Portal Road, a continuation of state Route 140, on Tuesday, the park announced. The road was reopened after several hours.
Wear and tear on the steep glacial cliffs inside the park contributes to rockslides. In 2021, 47 rockslide were reported, a lower-than-average number caused by the relative lack of precipitation, according to the park’s website.
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