2 bodies found inside 'human-dug' cave in Los Angeles area, authorities say

Two people were found dead inside of a human-dug cave in north Los Angeles along with some white powdery substance, authorities said.

The Los Angeles Fire Department, in a news alert Sunday, said that firefighters found two deceased persons and a "white powder substance" inside a "human-dug cave / excavation" in Northridge shortly after 10:30 a.m. Sunday. The location where the bodies were discovered is about 25 miles north of downtown Los Angeles.

No off-site hazard

The fire department later said that hazardous materials specialists "scanned the area and found all readings normal," adding that the wind had dispersed the white powder. They did not specify what the white powder was, except that there is no "off-site hazard" or any risk to the public.

Crews with the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner assisted in recovering both the bodies.

A spokesperson of the examiner's office told USA TODAY that one the deceased was identified as Benjamin Felix Varela, "an unhoused 57-year-old male," while the other person has not yet been identified.

It is not immediately clear how the two bodies ended up in the cave.

A spokesperson of the fire department told USA TODAY Monday that the Los Angeles Police Department notified the department of the two bodies and called them for assistance due the unique location of where the bodies were found.

It appeared that somebody had dug a hole into the side of a small hill and two people were found inside it, said the spokesperson.

The spokesperson said that the fire department only assisted in retrieving the bodies safely and that any further investigation will be handled by other agencies, such as the LAPD. The police department, meanwhile, said that they did not have an update or statement on the incident.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X @saman_shafiq7.