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More missing after mudslide

March 24, 2014

Emergency officials have dramatically raised the number of missing persons in the aftermath of a deadly mudslide in the US state of Washington. The mudslide hit Saturday morning, killing at least 14 people.

https://p.dw.com/p/1BVB8
Emergency workers examine debris after the mudslide in Snohomish County. Photo: Washington State Patrol via Getty Images
Image: Getty Images

Snohomish County emergency management director John Pennington said Monday that 108 names are on the list of people who have been reported missing or unaccounted for following Saturday's deadly mudslide.

Pennington said the new number is a consolidated list of people reported missing from various sources that authorities are working from.

The missing came in addition to at least 14 people confirmed dead and a dozen more injured. Over 40 homes were also destroyed in the slide.

The mudslide occured on Saturday morning, when the rain-soaked side of a mountain suddenly broke free and slammed into homes, a highway and the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River in the community of Oso, about 55 miles (90 kilometers) north of Seattle.

The slide covered around a square mile and left a field of debris, rock and mud up to 15 feet (5 meters) deep in some places.

Rescue efforts were hampered Sunday due to treacherous quicksand conditions but the search for victims was resumed early on Monday.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee flew over the site of the incident on Sunday and said "a full-scale, 100 percent, aggressive rescue effort" was underway, including helicopters and hovercrafts, and that a state of emergency had been declared.

hc/ph (Reuters, AP, dpa)