2 dead after rockfall in Yosemite National Park, sheriff says

CNN
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Two people are dead after a rockfall occurred Tuesday at Yosemite National Park in Northern California, the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office told CNN.

The sheriff’s office has two coroner cases as a result of the incident, Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Kristie Mitchell said. No other information was available.

The national park tweeted Tuesday that El Portal Road was closed for over four hours due to the rocks, but did not mention any injuries or deaths.

CNN has reached out Yosemite National Park for comment.

Rockfalls are a geologic process “involving the detachment and rapid downard movement of rock,” according to the National Park Service.

“Due to its steep, glacier-carved cliffs, Yosemite Valley experiences many rockfalls each year,” the agency said on its website.

The agency said 47 rockfalls took place in 2021, which was described as a “relatively mild year.”