Searchers found another body Sunday in the tangled sludge of a massive landslide in rural Washington state, bringing the death toll to Eight and 18 people missing from the wall of debris that swept through a small riverside neighborhood, according to Reuters.
The 1-square-mile mudslide that struck Saturday morning also critically injured several people and destroyed about 30 homes, Reuters reported. The slide wiped through what neighbors described as a former fishing village of small homes - some nearly 100 years old.
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, according to Reuters.
"We didn't see or hear any signs of life out there today," Hots said, adding that they did not search the entire debris field, only drier areas safe to traverse, Reuters reported. Hots also said crews were still in a "search and rescue mode. It has not gone to a recovery mode at this time."
Hots said the search would continue until nightfall, at which time conditions become too dangerous, according to Reuters.
Rescuers' hopes of finding more survivors were buoyed late Saturday when they heard people yelling for help, but they were unable to reach anyone, Reuters reported. The soupy mud was so thick and deep that searchers had to turn back.
"We have this huge square-mile mudflow that's basically like quicksand," Hots said Sunday, according to Reuters.
As the search for the missing continued, authorities said some may have been able to get out on their own, Reuters reported.
The number unaccounted for could change because some people may have been in cars and on roads when the slide hit just before 11 a.m. Saturday, Hots said, according to Reuters. Authorities believe the slide was caused by ground made unstable by recent heavy rainfall.
Washington Governor Jay Inslee described the scene as "a square mile of total devastation" after flying over the disaster area midday Sunday. He assured families that everything was being done to find their missing loved ones, Reuters reported.
The slide blocked the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River, according to Reuters. With the water pooling behind the debris, authorities worried about downstream flooding and issued an evacuation notice Saturday.
The water had begun to seep through the blockage Sunday afternoon, alleviating some concerns, Reuters reported. Snohomish County officials said Sunday that residents could return home during daylight hours.
