Confirmed dead in US mudslide rises to 21

By: 11 years ago

In this photo, published Sunday, March 30, 2014, by the Seattle Times, Randy Fay, a volunteer rescue technician with Snohomish County’s SnoHawk 10 rescue helicopter, helps Jetty Dooper, from the Netherlands, after a mudslide struck near Oso, Wash., on Saturday, March 22, 2014. Dooper, while visiting her friend Robin Youngblood who lived in the area, was caught in the slide when a wave of mud crashed into Youngblood’s house. AP

DARRINGTON, Wash. — Authorities say the number of people who have been confirmed dead from a U.S. mudslide has increased to 21, from 18.

Jason Biermann of Snohomish County Emergency Management said Sunday that 15 victims have been identified by the county medical examiner. Six have yet to be identified.

Biermann says another four bodies were found in the debris field on Sunday.

About 30 people remain missing after the massive mudslide in a mountainside community in Washington state on March 22.

Late Saturday, authorities said the number of people believed missing decreased substantially, from 90 to 30.

Rescue crews said Sunday that many of the dogs that have been essential in the search for victims will take a two-day break. Days of sniffing through cold, soupy mud and nearly nonstop rain have taken their toll on the animals, and officials say dogs can lose their sensing ability if they work too long.

Dogs from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, more recent arrivals on the scene, will continue working, said Heidi Amrine, another spokeswoman for the operation.

Engineers were watching for any material sloughing off the landslide area, making sure that a weekend of torrential rainfall doesn’t displace more land.

Meanwhile, many residents attended church services for solace ahead of another week of recovery efforts.

Underscoring the difficulty of identifying those killed in one of the deadliest landslides in U.S. history, Biermann said crews are not always discovering complete remains.

Searchers have had to contend with treacherous conditions.

The search area has septic tanks, gasoline, propane tanks and other hazards. When rescuers and search dogs leave, they’re hosed off by hazardous materials crews.

Rescuers should get some relief soon. Mainly dry weather is forecast Monday through Wednesday.