Tourist dies at US Death Valley National Park amid extreme heat
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Park officials warned that heatstroke sets in when the body’s core temperature rises to 40 deg C.
PHOTO: AFP
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LOS ANGELES – A tourist died on Tuesday afternoon at a trailhead in Death Valley National Park, located between the US states of California and Nevada, amid extreme heat, the authorities said on Wednesday.
The 71-year-old man from the Los Angeles area collapsed outside a restroom at Golden Canyon as temperatures in the area soared to 49 deg C, according to a news release from park officials.
Officials believe the man had likely just been hiking the popular trail. He was wearing a sun hat and hiking clothes, and carried a backpack, said the news release.
“This is possibly the second heat-related fatality in Death Valley this summer. A 65-year-old man died on July 3,” the news release added.
According to the US National Weather Service, Death Valley has experienced 28 days of temperatures in excess of 43 deg C in 2023.
Park officials warned that heatstroke sets in when the body’s core temperature rises to 40 deg C.
Officials have posted an extreme summer heat alert on the park’s officials website, warning that temperatures are expected to remain between 43 and 49 deg C.
It urged tourists to drink plenty of water and carry extra, and avoid hiking after 10am.
Death Valley is the lowest and driest place in the United States, and one of the hottest locations in the world at the height of summer.
The world’s highest air temperature of 56.7 deg C was recorded at Furnace Creek in the park on July 10, 1913, according to the US National Park Service. XINHUA
