Yosemite National Park shutdown due to deaths in a rock slide

• The park counted 47 rockfalls in the valley in 2021.
• Two persons perished in a rock collapse occurred at Yosemite National Park.
• Big Oak Flat Road was also blocked early on December 12 due to a rockslide.

Yosemite National Park claims that, despite being rare, there might be a lot of rockfalls in the Yosemite Valley each year. The park counted 47 rockfalls in the valley in 2021.

The local county sheriff’s office reported that two persons perished in a rock collapse that occurred earlier this week at Yosemite National Park.

The El Portal Road, which leads from El Portal to Highway 140 and the Yosemite Valley, was declared closed by the Yosemite National Park on Tuesday due to “massive rockfall.” Six hours later, the door was reopened.

The victims have been named as Georgios Theocharous, 51, and Ming Yan, 35, by local police, according to the Associated Press. Both are married San Jose residents.

Due to another rockfall occurrence, the park issued another closure along Big Oak Flat Road, east of Foresta, on Friday evening.

Big Oak Flat Road was also blocked early on December 12 due to a rockslide, preventing access to Yosemite Valley from the west via Highway 120. The road had to be closed for a few days to be cleared and repaired due to the rockslide.

Big Oak Flat Road is still blocked off as of Saturday morning. If there are any reports of fatalities or injuries from the rockslide on Friday, the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office has not yet provided a response.

Yosemite National Park claims that, despite being rare, there might be a lot of rockfalls in the Yosemite Valley each year. The park counted 47 rockfalls in the valley in 2021.

Yosemite National Park was one of the top 25 most visited national parks in the country in 2021, according to the U.S. National Park Service, with 3.3 million people.

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