Hundreds flee after dam breaks near Grand Canyon

Phoenix: Hundreds of residents are being evacuated after a dam near the Grand Canyon broke on Sunday and flooded their village, a National Park Service spokesman said.

Five helicopters from the Arizona National Guard and the state public safety department ferried some evacuees, including campers and river-runners, to higher ground.

Spokeswoman Maureen Oltrogge said at least 75 people had been airlifted to safety and another 350 were waiting for their turn.

Floodwaters cascaded into the remote Native American town of Supai at the bottom of a canyon following a day of heavy rains that weakened and eventually broke the dam.