A major landslide near Wrangell, Alaska, killed at least three and left five others unaccounted for, the Alaska Department of Public Safety confirmed.
The landslide was first reported at 8:51 p.m. on Monday along the Zimovia Highway, Alaska State Troopers spokesman Austin McDaniel said during a news conference.
The body of a young girl was found first; then late Tuesday the bodies of two additional adults were discovered by a drone operator, according to the Associated Press. The identities of the victims have not yet been released. Two children and three adults remain missing as of Wednesday.
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A survivor, an adult female, is receiving care and appeared in good condition, McDaniel added.
The ages and identities of the victims was not released.
Three single-family residences sat in the direct path of the landslide, the Public Safety Department said in a news release. It is believed the landslide crashed into the homes in the small fishing community of Wrangell. Only one of the homes was unoccupied at the time, McDaniel said.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, it initially received a call for help from a Wrangell resident “who witnessed a land side impact several homes at approximately 9:00 p.m. on Monday.”
The adult female who was rescued is believed to have been on the upper floors of a home when the disaster struck.
The rescue attempt saw the combined efforts of the Alaska State Troopers, city staff, local contractors, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Forest Service, according to a post by the city of Wrangell.
Officials said ground search efforts had been paused pending a geologist’s assessment of the area for safety as the site was “extremely hazardous and unstable.”
Alaska State Troopers called for all residents within 11 miles of the slide to evacuate.
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy declared a state disaster for the landslide, adding in a statement that “Rose and I are heartbroken by this disaster and we pray for the safety of all those on site and offer all the resources our state has available.”
