Aftermath of the Nov. 20 landslide in Wrangell, Alaska.Photo:U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of USCGC Bailey Barco
U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of USCGC Bailey Barco
The death toll from thelarge landslide in Alaskahas risen as crews continue to search through the wreckage for victims.
Three people have beenfound deadand five others remain missing following Monday’s disaster at mile 11 on the Zimovia Highway in Wrangell, said Austin McDaniel, Communications Director for Alaska’s Department of Public Safety, in a news briefing on Tuesday.
A girl under the age of 18 was found dead Monday night during the initial search for victims, McDaniel reported. She and four others: two adults and two children, were inside their home when the slide occurred.
A drone operator also helpedlocate the bodies of two adultswho were killed in the slide, according to a DPS news release. The victims' identities have not been released.
One adult female was rescued Tuesday morning. McDaniel said she lived at one of the residences on the mountainous side of the highway and “was in an upper level of the home when the landslide occurred.”
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Monday’s slide was about 500 feet wide at the point where it crossed the highway, according to Alaska’s Department of Transportation spokesperson Shannon McCarthy.
The slide occurred following a region-wide storm with heavy rain and high winds, she said at Tuesday’s news conference.
The landslide that impacted Wrangell is known as a “debris flow,” which occurs when heavy rainfall or rapid snowmelt puts extra moisture into the soil and causes the once-stable land to give way, according to Barrett Salisbury, a geologist with Alaska’s Department of Natural Resources.
Debris flows are “notably destructive,” according to Salisbury. However, he noted that events like Monday’s landslide can be difficult to predict without special equipment in place beforehand.
“It looks like there’s a lot of moisture in the next week and that’s not a great forecast for being in and around that area,’ Salisbury said during Tuesday’s news conference.
The Coast Guard isassisting in the searchfor victims following Monday’s slide. Alaska state troopers are leading the search efforts.
source: people.com
