Authorities have identified the two people who were killed by a rockslide in Yosemite National Park Tuesday morning.
According to a statement issued by the National Park Service, the victims were identified as Georgios Theocharous, 51, and Ming Yan, 35, a married couple from San Jose, California.
The incident took place on El Portal Road near Big Oak Flat Road at approximately 9 am on Tuesday, December 27.
Yosemite National Park sign
(iStock)
OREGON, WASHINGTON STRIKES WITH DEADLY STORMS AND FLOODS
The section of Highway 140 hugs the Merced River on one side and large rocky hills on the other side. The path leads to Yosemite Valley to the east and one of the park’s three western entrances to the west.
The couple’s Dodge Ram was struck by rocks falling from 1,000 feet onto El Portal Road. The force of the rockslide pushed his rental truck off the road and onto the Merced River embankment.
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Park officials said about 185 tons of rock, in all, were involved in the rock slide, which affected 500 feet of the road. The cause of the rockfall is still under investigation by the National Park Service.
The rock slide closed a portion of El Portal Road for several hours, the National Park Service said in a tweet. The road reopened the next day after the unexpected tragedy.
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On Friday night, the park announced another closure on Big Oak Flat Road, east of Foresta, due to another rockfall incident. On Saturday afternoon, the park reopened the pathway.
