Eight people have been declared dead nearly two days after a landslide in Washington state buried homes and cars under mud and tangled debris up to 15 feet deep, reports Reuters. According to the Associated Press, up to 108 people have been reported missing as of Monday afternoon.
The search for victims was due to resume early on Monday after dangerous, quicksand conditions forced rescue workers to suspend their efforts at dusk on Sunday, says Reuters. Some workers had to be dragged to safety after becoming mired in mud to their armpits.
The landslide was triggered after rain-soaked embankments along State Route 530 near Oso, Washington, about 55 miles northeast of Seattle, gave way on Saturday morning. About 30 homes were destroyed, according to AP.
“We didn't find anybody alive. There was no sign of life” after a search of much of the area on foot, Snohomish County Fire District 21 Chief Travis Hots told a news conference on Sunday, adding that the tally of missing was likely to grow.
“I have a sense that we're going to have some hard news here,” Washington Governor Jay Inslee said after flying over the affected area on Sunday, according to Reuters.
Click “next” to read more and see photos of the damage.
Photos provided by AP Photos.
A house is seen destroyed in the mud on Highway 530 next to mile marker 37 on Sunday, March 23, 2014, the day after a giant landslide occurred near mile marker 37 near Oso, Washington.
Gov. Jay Inslee has declared a state of emergency, says AP, calling the destruction “unrelenting and awesome.”
Above, a steady stream of mud and water flows away from the mudslide blocking the road on Highway 530 on Sunday. The 15-20 feet of debris damming up the Stillaguamish Rivera is creating more flooding concerns, as reported by KING 5 via the state hydrologist.
The orange X on a house destroyed in the mud indicates it has been searched for people. Rescue crews searched into the night for survivors after hearing voices from the debris field pleading for help. The Snohomish County sheriff's office has asked people affected by the slide to report to the Red Cross so an accurate count can be made of the missing, says Reuters.
This photo provided by the Washington State Patrol shows the aftermath of a house that was destroyed by the landslide with people inside in Snohomish County on Saturday, March 22.
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