2 women hikers were found dead in a Nevada state park amid heatwave

OVERTON, Nev. (AP) — Two women hikers have been found dead in a state park in southern Nevada, authorities said Sunday.

The Nevada State Parks did not release any details on the hikers’ identities or a possible cause of death. However, the southern part of the state remains in an excessive heat warning, and the high temperature on Saturday was 114 degrees (45 degrees Celsius.)

Authorities said they were asked to do a welfare check shortly before 3 p.m. Saturday for two women who didn’t finish their hike at Valley of Fire State Park, south of Overton in Moapa Valley.

A group of hikers reported seeing the women enter the trails in the morning and became concerned when they noticed the pair hadn’t returned.

State parks officials said one woman was found dead on the trail and the other body was located in a canyon.

Valley of Fire State Park is about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northeast of Las Vegas.

There have been seven heat-related deaths in Clark County as of mid-July, according to the Southern Nevada Health District.

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This story has been corrected to show the name of the agency is Nevada State Parks, not Nevada State Police.