Tourist dies at U.S. Death Valley National Park amid extreme heat

LOS ANGELES, July 19 (Xinhua) -- A tourist died Tuesday afternoon at a trailhead in Death Valley National Park, located between the U.S. states of California and Nevada, amid extreme heat, 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 121 degrees Fahrenheit (49.44 degrees Celsius), according to a news release from park officials.

The 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 U.S. National Weather Service, Death Valley has experienced 28 days of temperatures in excess of 43.33 degrees Celsius this year. Park officials warned that heat stroke sets in when the body's core temperature rises 40 degrees Celsius.

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 degrees Celsius. It urges tourists to drink plenty of water and carry extra and avoid hiking after 10 o'clock in the morning.

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 degrees Celsius was recorded at Furnace Creek in the park on July 10, 1913, according to the U.S. National Park Service.