The death toll from last weekend's devastating mudslide in the western U.S. state of Washington has reached 24, but rescue workers are continuing their search for survivors.
More than 200 searchers picked their way through tons of mud, the remnants of houses and twisted cars for a fifth day Wednesday, looking and listening for signs of life. But with the quicksand-like mud, rescue leader Travis Hots said the search is difficult.
A total of 176 people continue to be listed as missing, although authorities say the list may include duplicate names or people who are alive, but whose whereabouts are unknown.
Rescue crews are using heavy equipment, high tech cameras, search dogs and their bare hands to search and dig through the rubble in the search for possible survivors and victims.
Last Saturday's landslide struck without warning when a hillside near the small town of Oso collapsed after several weeks of heavy rains.
One woman was frantic as she called an emergency line for help.
"There's like a mudslide and everything's gone!"
On Tuesday, the Seattle Times newspaper published a report written by a geologist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1999 that warned of the potential of "catastrophic failure" in the area affected by Saturday's landslide.
More than 200 searchers picked their way through tons of mud, the remnants of houses and twisted cars for a fifth day Wednesday, looking and listening for signs of life. But with the quicksand-like mud, rescue leader Travis Hots said the search is difficult.
A total of 176 people continue to be listed as missing, although authorities say the list may include duplicate names or people who are alive, but whose whereabouts are unknown.
Rescue crews are using heavy equipment, high tech cameras, search dogs and their bare hands to search and dig through the rubble in the search for possible survivors and victims.
Last Saturday's landslide struck without warning when a hillside near the small town of Oso collapsed after several weeks of heavy rains.
One woman was frantic as she called an emergency line for help.
"There's like a mudslide and everything's gone!"
On Tuesday, the Seattle Times newspaper published a report written by a geologist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1999 that warned of the potential of "catastrophic failure" in the area affected by Saturday's landslide.