▲ Grand Canyon swept by floods
A sudden flash flood at the Grand Canyon, a major U.S. national park, has left about 15 people missing.
According to CBS News and the Associated Press on August 30 (local time), a sudden flood occurred the previous afternoon around Bright Angel Creek and Phantom Ranch within Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, destroying structures such as bridges and leaving about 15 campers and hikers missing.
About 60 hikers at the scene were rescued via helicopters and other means.
According to authorities, heavy rain of 0.5 to 1 inch (12.7 to 25.4 mm) fell in about an hour at Bright Angel Creek, triggering a flash flood as rainwater cascaded down the steep rock terrain.
David Gregory, who was hiking at the time, told CNN, "We noticed the creek water turning into muddy water and flowing increasingly fiercely," adding that he evacuated to a nearby high school by helicopter.
Another camper, Erica Viola, said she saw lodging buildings washed away as the creek water rose and that she also evacuated by helicopter.
Due to the swift and powerful current, nearly all pedestrian bridges across Bright Angel Creek were destroyed, and even the terrain of the Colorado River reportedly changed.
Additional rainfall is possible between tonight and the early hours of August 31.
The national park stated that it plans to conduct additional evacuation operations and is closing the Bright Angel Campground, Phantom Ranch, and parts of the North Kaibab Trail.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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