At least one person was killed and “multiple” people are missing after a landslide hit a number of homes in Alaska on Monday, according to local authorities.
The “major” landslide occurred at mile marker 11 on the Zimovia Highway in Wrangell shortly before 9 p.m. local time, Alaska State Police said in a statement.
Three single-family homes “were directly in the path of the landslide,” officers said. One person was found dead as crews combed the area.
“Several” people who were allegedly in the area of the slide are also believed to be missing. Officials have not released the official number of missing persons.
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More than two inches of rain fell in Wrangell in the days leading up to the landslide, according to a National Weather Service report.
According to Anchorage Daily Newscarrier officials estimated the landslide was 450 feet wide where it crossed the road, with a large debris field.
Several nearby homes lost power due to the landslide, Wrangell’s public radio station KSTK reported.
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Residents near the site of Monday’s landslide were ordered to evacuate because “additional landslides are possible in the area,” police said in a statement Tuesday.
Water taxis were made available to those wishing to evacuate, and the Zimovia Freeway was closed to traffic south of Mile 6.
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Meanwhile, a southeast Alaska geologist is surveying the slide-affected area to assess its safety, according to state police.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy posted on Facebook that he had “verbally declared a disaster for Wrangell” after Monday night’s landslide.
“Rose and I are heartbroken by this disaster,” he said in his post, “and we are praying for the safety of everyone on the scene and offering all the resources our state has at its disposal.”
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