Two people have died in a 'significant' rockfall on Tuesday morning at Yosemite National Park which closed down the highway for several hours, officials said.
The Mariposa County Sheriff's office were alerted to the incident around 9am where the rock slide occurred in the area between Arch Rock Entrance Gate and Yosemite Park Boulder.
Kristie Mitchell, a spokesperson with the Mariposa County Sheriff's Department told DailyMail.com that there they have two coroner cases as a result of the rock slide on Tuesday but were unable to provide further details about the deceased.
Park officials at Yosemite National Park issued a tweet on Tuesday about a road closure on El Portal Road - continuation of Highway 140 into Yosemite Valley from El Portal- due to what they described as a 'significant rockfall.'
The tweet gave visitors another way to access the park but, did not mention any injuries or deaths. The road was reopened the following day.
A photo of the Arch Rock entrance at Yosemite National Park not far from the site of where Tuesday's rock slide occurred
DailyMail.com reached out to Yosemite National Park for further information but no one was available for comment.
According to the National Park Services, rockfalls are a geologic process that involving the detachment and rapid downward movement of rock.
'Due to its steep, glacier-carved cliffs, Yosemite Valley experiences many rockfalls each year,' the agency said on its website.
More than 1,000 rockfalls have occurred in the park during the past 150 years, according to the park's historical records.
'Massive piles of "talus" or rock debris at the base of Yosemite Valley's cliffs are reminders of these dramatic events. Natural processes like rockfall help to create the beautiful and changing scenery in Yosemite National Park, but they also present potential hazards,' the website said.
In 2021, there were 47 rockfalls reported and described as a 'relatively mild year,' park officials said.
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