New estimates have been released on the number of people missing or unaccounted for in the one-square-mile mudslide that crashed through a Snohomish County neighborhood on Saturday. That number now stands at 108.
Snohomish County Emergency Management Director, John Pennington says that “it’s a soft 108,” stating that the list is consolidated from various sources.
There is concerns that a construction crew may have been in the area at the time of the muddy engulfment, that crew has not been heard from since the incident.
Eight people are confirmed dead in the huge wall of mud and debris that swallowed up the area 55 miles to the northeast of Seattle. No live victims have been found since Saturday.
On Saturday night, rescuers heard cries for help coming from the dirt and debris and attempted to locate the people in distress. But, unfortunately, dangerous conditions forced the rescuers to turn back and wait for light. When daylight finally arrived, the cries for help no longer could be heard.
There are also concerns that there may have been motorists traveling through the area and got caught up in the muddy flow that crashed over the structures, sped through the the Stillaguamish River, continued past to cover over 360 feet of Highway 530 on the other side.
There were at least 49 structures affected in the slide, 25 of those homes were likely inhabited at 11 am, the time of the horrible incident.