When the two did not return, a number of hikers who had seen the women enter the area expressed alarm, according to the authorities.

Authorities say two hikers were discovered dead on Saturday at a state park in Nevada.

According to CNN, the Associated Press, and CBS affiliate KLAS-TV, a group of hikers observed the women, who haven’t been publicly recognized, enter the Valley of Fire State Park on Saturday morning and grew worried when they didn’t come back.

Just before 3 p.m. local time, one of the group’s members requested a welfare check from the Nevada State Park Police, according to the media.

The body of one of the women was discovered by police along a park trail after they had responded.

The search and rescue team from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department was then contacted by the department, and they subsequently located a second victim inside a canyon, according to the reports.

The National Weather Service stated that Overton, where the park is situated, experienced a high of 114 degrees on Saturday. As of Monday, an excessive heat warning still applies to the majority of southern Nevada.

Although the women’s causes of death are now unknown, a recent trend of deaths that may have been brought on by extreme heat coincides with their passing.

A 71-year-old man passed away just last week as temperatures reached 121 degrees near a trailhead for Death Valley National Park, possibly from heat-related causes. A 65-year-old man was discovered dead on July 3 in Death Valley inside a car with two flat tires and a malfunctioning air conditioning system.

According to ABC affiliate KNTV-TV, the Clark County Coroner’s Office acknowledged last week that there have been 16 verified heat-related deaths in Las Vegas, though there may be more.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that there are roughly 702 heat-related deaths in the United States per year. Heart and respiratory problems, renal failure, electrolyte imbalance, kidney stones, premature birth, and other conditions can all be brought on by excessive heat.

According to the CDC, heat-related deaths are frequently caused by heat stroke and other related illnesses, as well as heart disease, lung disease, and cerebrovascular disease, which affects blood flow to the brain.

A request for response from PEOPLE was not immediately answered by park administrators or the LVPD. The fatalities are being investigated, according to CNN.