Two children die in hillside collapse near California dam

Two children tragically lost their lives when a section of a hillside in Northern California collapsed near a dam and river on Thursday, as reported by the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office.

The youngsters, identified as juveniles, got trapped in the rocks and debris that tumbled down a hillside around 9 a.m., downstream of the Shasta Dam, according to the office’s news release. It was later reported that the bodies had been found. Water levels in the dam were lowered to assist officials in their search.

The sheriff’s office expressed their heartfelt sympathies to the families of the victims in a statement. Their names and ages were not made public right away.

Officials went to the Chappie-Shasta Off-Highway Vehicle Area in response to a rock and debris slide. The Bureau of Land Management, in charge of the area, characterizes it as hilly with views of the Sacramento River. You can also camp in the area.

The Shasta Dam spanning the river stands at approximately 600 feet in height. Shasta Lake is created by the water held by it, located north of Redding.

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The sheriff’s office stated that there is a current investigation into the events leading to the children being in the water. It’s unclear if the rainfall played a role in the hillside collapse, but California has experienced heavy rains this month, saturating the ground.

Redding and the Shasta area had accumulated over 4 inches of rain by Wednesday morning in the latest storm, according to a report from the National Weather Service in Sacramento on rainfall totals. Last week, Redding received approximately 2 inches of rain, with over an inch falling from Saturday into Sunday, according to the agency.