8 confirmed dead, 100 missing in Washington State mudslide as search considers
Authorities are still searching for more bodies after a massive mudslide in a rural part of Washington state killed at least eight people and with over 100 reports of others missing.
Washington state mudslide aftermath photo: screenshot Fox News coverage
At a news conference Monday, officials said they had collected the names of anyone who might have been in the area at the time the mountain slope collapsed on Saturday.
This number of people unaccounted for stands at 108.
“This is a large scale disaster event,” John Pennington, emergency response managing director said. “We have 108 individual names, or likeness … It’s a soft 108.”
Authorities state that this does not mean that many are missing, but is simply the names of individuals — including residents, guests, drivers and contractors — who may have been in the area at the time.
Of the 49 structures in the area, authorities said Monday that at least 25 were probably full-time residences.
The 1-square-mile mudslide struck Saturday morning in Snohomish County, critically injuring several people and destroying about 30 homes.
Eight bodies have been pulled from the scene and authorities described the search for additional survivors to be “grim” as crews battle uneven ground and rising waters.
“It was Saturday and probably a higher number than what you would see on a week day,” he said of the victims during a press conference Monday. Pennington said it remains unclear how many structures were impacted at the time.
Crews were able to get to the muddy, tree-strewn area after geologists flew over in a helicopter and determined it was safe enough for emergency responders and technical rescue personnel to search for possible survivors, Snohomish County Fire District 21 Chief Travis Hots said Sunday evening.
“We didn’t see or hear any signs of life out there today,” he said, adding that they did not search the entire debris field, only drier areas safe to traverse. “It’s very disappointing to all emergency responders on scene.”
“We are still in a rescue mode at this time, however, I want to let everyone know that the situation is very grim,” Hots said Monday. “We’re still holding out hope that we’re going to be able to find people that may still be alive. But keep in mind we have not found anybody alive on this pile since Saturday.”
photo: screenshot from Fox News coverage HERE
