People Died But No Concern... 54°C in US Death Valley, Now a Hotspot for SNS Selfies

This Month's Record High of 54.4°C Marks Worst Heatwave
Tourists Popularly Take 'Proof Shots' at Death Valley Thermometer

Tourists are flocking to 'Death Valley,' one of the hottest places on Earth, to take 인증샷 (certification photos).

A woman is taking a commemorative photo next to a thermometer at Death Valley National Park on the 16th.
[Photo by AP·Yonhap News]

According to the British daily The Guardian on the 22nd (local time), the temperature in Death Valley National Park, a canyon spanning California and Nevada, has been soaring above 50 degrees Celsius this summer, attracting a steady stream of visitors.

Despite strong warning signs at key points in Death Valley such as "Deadly Heat" and "Do Not Become a Victim of Death Valley," tourists continue to visit.

Just this week, visitors at an information center hurriedly moved to shelter after taking photos in front of a thermometer showing temperatures approaching 123-124 degrees Fahrenheit (50.5-51.5 degrees Celsius).

Those who had been taking photos after stepping out of their cool cars were startled by the heat and all entered the information center within just 1-2 minutes.

One French tourist said they hesitated to take the trip they had planned months ago due to the heatwave, stating, "I wondered if it was wise to bring my two children, but since the car is new, we tried it. If the car was old, we wouldn't have come."

"They want to take photos breaking the record... but must take the heatwave seriously"

A heatwave warning sign is posted at Death Valley National Park in the United States.
[Photo by AP·Yonhap News]

A staff member on site said, "At the beginning of this summer, we expected fewer visitors, but recently, as temperatures have surged, many people have come, and we have become busy."

He added, "For some reason, people want to experience the heat here, but they seem unaware of how the heatwave affects the human body."

Abby Wines, the Death Valley park manager, said that the peak seasons are March to April and July to August, with about 100,000 visitors per month during these times.

Wines said, "Some people deliberately come when news breaks that 'Death Valley might break records.' They must take the heatwave seriously and take measures such as avoiding going out during the hottest parts of the day."

Meanwhile, Death Valley once held the world record for the highest temperature at 56.6 degrees Celsius in 1913, and this summer, it already recorded 54.4 degrees Celsius on the 14th, threatening the previous record.

The roads heat up intensely, causing frequent accidents such as tire blowouts while driving.

In fact, there have been two deaths this month alone.

On the 18th, a 71-year-old man died on a Death Valley hiking trail, and on the 3rd, a man in his 60s was found dead inside a car near North Highway Road within Death Valley National Park. Both are presumed to have died due to the heat.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.