Searchers Look for 11 Ariz. Canyon Hikers

United Press International

Rescuers were seeking 11 hikers in the Havasu Canyon, Ariz., area of the Grand Canyon after a weekend flash flood swept the canyon.

A team of Bureau of Indian Affairs and National Park Service personnel were searching the popular campground for the 11 hikers following Sunday's flash flooding of Havasu Creek. The flood forced the evacuation of more than 250 campers and Havasupai tribal members, the Arizona Republic in Phoenix reported Tuesday.

The 11 hikers could have been swept downstream or else could have left the area and be unaware that they're considered missing, BIA spokesman Chris English said.

"They're looking for people that may be up trees or on cliffs," he said. "We still don't have any reports of fatalities."

The hikers registered with the tribe in Supai, Ariz., before beginning their trek, authorities said, adding that they were trying to contact friends and relatives who might know the plans of the missing.

Residents evacuated from Supai said they hoped to return to their homes Tuesday, but no one from any of the agencies working on the disaster offered an estimate about when the village could reopen to residents or visitors.