US mudslide death toll continues to rise

The death toll from a massive mudslide in the US state of Washington continues to rise as rescuers, who are battling uneven ground and rising water, find more bodies.

According to the latest reports, the huge mudslide has left 14 people dead while the number of those who are still missing or unaccounted for has risen to 176.

Authorities have expressed concerns that the number of deceased could rise to far above 14.

The 1-square-mile mudslide hit rural Snohomish County on Saturday, destroying nearly 30 homes. The mudslide has also left several other people critically injured.

“The situation is very grim,” Snohomish County Fire District 21 Chief Travis Hots said. “We have not found anyone alive on this pile since Saturday.”

On Saturday night, searchers could still hear people crying for help amid the rubble but they could not continue their search because dangerous conditions forced them to turn back in the darkness.

Rescuers resumed their work on Sunday but voices calling for help could not be heard anymore.

“We didn’t see or hear any signs of life out there,” Hots said on Sunday. “It’s very disappointing to all emergency responders on scene.”

Meanwhile, authorities hope that the number of unaccounted for could change because some people might have been able to get out on their own and some people may have been in cars and on roads when the mudslide hit.

Officials, who have described the mudslide as “a big wall of mud and debris,” say the cause could be ground made unstable by heavy rainfall.