ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – The latest on the deadly landslide in Sitka, Alaska (all times local).
2:05 p.m.
Officials say the body of another man has been found in debris left by a landslide in a coastal town in Alaska.
Three men were believed to have been killed when the landslide slammed into a construction site in Sitka, Alaska, on Tuesday. One man remains missing.
The latest discovery came Thursday in the same location as the first body. Neither man has been identified.
Authorities say the search continued for the other man.
Six landslides were reported after 2 1/2 inches of rain fell in a 24-hour period. Officials say the search for bodies is slow and methodical as the mud is wet and unstable.
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9:30 a.m.
The search has resumed in an Alaska coastal town for the two remaining men believed killed when an avalanche of mud and trees barreled down a mountain and into a construction site.
In all, six landslides swept over Sitka on Tuesday after 2 1/2 inches of rain fell in 24 hours, and two adult brothers and a city building inspector were reported missing. One body was found Wednesday evening in or near a home that was under construction, but it hasn’t been identified.
Jeremy Zidek, spokesman for the state homeland security department, says search dogs returned to the area early Thursday.
On Wednesday, a geologist walked up 1,400 feet to get a better view of the entire slide. Zidek he says the survey found a majority of the debris in the landslide trough has already come down, lessening concerns about another slide.
However, rain fell overnight, and Zidek says the geologist will have to re-examine the area.
He says Sitka is expecting more heavy rains into the weekend, which could further complicate search efforts.