Daijiworld Media Network - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, Aug 31: More than 20 people may be missing or unaccounted for following a flash flood in the Grand Canyon National Park in the US state of Arizona, authorities said.

The “significant flash-flood event” occurred in Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area on Saturday, August 29, the US National Park Service said in a news release on Sunday.

The National Park Service urged anyone who knew of hikers or backpackers who were in the inner canyon along the Bright Angel Creek corridor on August 29, as well as those who had campground reservations in the affected corridor, to provide information to its Investigative Services Branch.

Park officials said evacuation and response operations were continuing in coordination with the Arizona Department of Public Safety, while efforts were underway to account for people who may have been in the affected area, Xinhua news agency reported.

As of the morning of August 30, a total of 62 people had been evacuated from Phantom Ranch and the lower North Kaibab Trail, officials said.

The evacuees were being taken to the Maswik Lodge Cafeteria on the South Rim, where the American Red Cross was coordinating assistance.

“No injuries have been reported as of the latest available information,” officials said.

The flash flood caused significant damage to infrastructure throughout Bright Angel Canyon. Almost all footbridges spanning Bright Angel Creek were destroyed, cutting off hiker access across the creek.

Grand Canyon National Park staff are continuing to assess damage to trails, bridges, utilities, facilities and other infrastructure, officials said.

Meanwhile, a thunderstorm and heavy rainfall warning has been issued for Monday. Authorities warned that further severe weather could trigger additional flash flooding, debris flows and rockfalls, while also causing changing trail and river conditions.