Two women found dead in state park outside of Las Vegas

Two women were found dead at Valley of Fire State Park outside in Nevada on Saturday after a group of hikers noticed they were missing, according to police.

The two women were seen heading out on a park trail on Saturday morning, but a separate group of hikers saw that they had not returned and called the police, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police told KLAS.

When Nevada State Police arrived to investigate around 2:45 p.m., they discovered one of the women deceased along one of the hiking trails, police said. 

Rangers then requested an LVMPD search and rescue team to help find the second woman.

She was later found dead in a canyon, according to police.

Police have not yet identified the two women and their cause of death has not yet been released.

Valley of Fire State Park is located about 45 minutes northeast of downtown Las Vegas, where temperatures reached triple digits on Saturday. 

The deaths come just days after a 71-year-old hiker collapsed and died in nearby Death Valley National Park as scorching temperatures neared 120 degrees.

The Clark County Coroner’s Office said earlier this week that there have been at least 16 confirmed heat-related deaths in Las Vegas as it experiences an oppressive heat wave, although the true number could be higher, KNTV reported.

Southern Nevada remains under an excessive heat warning, and officials have urged residents to limit outdoor activities.