Devastating landslide kills 1 when it hits homes, Alaska officials say. Others missing

One person has been found dead after a landslide struck an area in Alaska, officials said.

On Nov. 20 at 8:51 p.m., a “large” landslide hit on the Zimovia Highway at mile 11 in Wrangell, about 200 miles south of Juneau, according to a news release by the State of Alaska’s Department of Public Safety.

The landslide measured 200 feet wide, interim borough manager Mason Villarma told the Anchorage Daily News.

First responders found one person dead during the search, officials said.

Alaska State Troopers are working alongside city staff and contractors to “sift through and clear debris,” according to a Facebook post by the city.

There are three single-family homes in the path of the landslide, officials said.

The search for more people continues as officials believe there were “multiple individuals” in the area during the time of the slide, the release said.

Officials will use helicopters and planes in their search efforts once the area is deemed safe to search, the Department of Public Safety said.

Wrangell has experienced 2 and a half inches of rain in the past three days, according to the National Weather Service.

Officials urge the public to not enter the area as more landslides are possible, the release said. Anyone who lives in the area should evacuate.

The highway has been closed since Nov. 20, officials said..

Power in certain parts of the area went out as a result of the slide, KSTK Wrangell Public Radio said on Facebook.

The Wrangell Parks and Recreation’s community center remained open so people could have a “warm, dry space,” the center said on Facebook.

McClatchy News reached out to Alaska’s Department of Public Safety on Nov. 21 for more information and is awaiting a response.

A state geologist is scheduled to “assess the site to ensure conditions are safe,” according to the Facebook post.

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