2 kids missing after Alaska landside covers area with tons of mud, debris, officials say
Rescuers are desperately searching for any signs of two missing children and an adult thought to be trapped under mud and debris after a devastating landslide in southeastern Alaska, officials said.
The side of a mountain gave way and tumbled over a highway in the small town of Wrangell, about 200 miles south of Juneau, on Nov. 20 just before 9 p.m., McClatchy News previously reported.
A photo shows a massive pile of fallen trees and other debris at the base of the mountain and overflowing into the bay.
The landslide measured 200 feet wide and took out three single-family homes, McClatchy News reported.
Officials believe three people are still missing, the Alaska Department of Public Safety said in a Nov. 21 news release.
At least one woman was rescued in the early morning hours of Nov. 21 after the landslide, spokesperson Austin McDaniel said during a news briefing.
A drone operator found the bodies of two adults on Nov. 21, the department said in the release.
Search and rescue teams and K9 teams are searching the ground, and planes and helicopters are searching from the sky, officials said. The U.S. Coast Guard and good Samaritans are searching the bay at the base of the mountain, according to a news release.
Two and a half inches of rain fell over three days prior to the landslide, McClatchy News reported. Officials asked the public to avoid the area since more landslides are possible, and those who live in the area should evacuate.
This story was originally published November 22, 2023 at 12:53 PM with the headline "2 kids missing after Alaska landside covers area with tons of mud, debris, officials say."
