Daily Mail – by JESSICA JERREAT
A newly released satellite image shows the shocking scale of destruction caused by the Washington state landslide that struck the small town of Oso on March 22.
Google Earth had been trying to get a clear view of the landslide since it first happened, but overcast skies prevented a clear view until March 31.
The pool of sludge measuring about 300 acres, which wiped out the mountainside community when it struck on a Saturday morning, stands out against the greenery of the surviving trees.
Widespread: The scale of the devastating Oso mudslide can be seen from this satellite image taken on Monday
Before: A satellite image shows the mountainside area of Oso before the deadly mudslide struck it on March 22
About 500 rescue workers are still sifting through the debris, in some places 75ft high, as they search for 22 people who are still listed as missing.
Snohomish County has put the current death toll at 27, and 19 of the victims have since been identified. All died from multiple blunt-force trauma, Live Science reported.
‘This disaster is quickly becoming one of the worst in state history,’ Washington Governor Jay Inslee said.
The landslide was triggered when the waterlogged hillside collapsed at the Stillaguamish river, which is about 50 miles from Seattle.
Among the devastation and huge loss of life, there have been a few remarkable stories of survival, like that of Duke Saddarth, a 22-week-old baby who was plucked from the sludge by a driver who was passing as the landslide hit.
Selfless act: Kody Wesson carries 22-month-old Duke Saddarth to safety moments after the landslide hit
Kody Wesson ignored state troopers’ advice to stay away, and managed to pull the baby and his mother Amanda Skorjanc to safety.
‘You gotta help ’em. How can you not? What are you supposed to do, you can’t just stand there and watch,’ Mr Wesson told the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Three men rescued from the landslide are still in hospital. A 37-year-old is in serious condition in intensive care. An 81-year-old in serious condition in intensive care. And a 58-year-old is in satisfactory condition.
The family of the mother and baby released a statement through the hospital, saying: ‘We are so grateful to all the responders who jeopardized their safety in order to pull Duke and Amanda out of the debris.
‘Words alone cannot tell you how thankful we are. Our hearts and support continue to go out to everyone who has been affected by this tragedy.’
The scale of the disaster is so huge that the sniffer dogs that have been essential to rescue efforts had to take a break after several long days of working through the cold mud in nearly nonstop rain.
Tribute: A flag flies at half-mast on the flattened landscape where the mudslide struck
Overwhelmed: The wall of mud and sludge carved out a wide path on this Washington hillside in Oso
‘The conditions on the slide field are difficult, so this is just a time to take care of the dogs,’ Kris Rietmann, lead spokeswoman for the team working on the eastern portion of the slide, said.
If the dogs become worn out they lose their ability to locate human scent among the mud. Dogs from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which only arrived recently, will continue to work at the scene while the others take a two-day break.
This weekend, crews completed a makeshift road that will link one side of the debris field to the other, significantly easing the recovery operation. They have also been working to clear mud and debris from the highway.
Searchers have had to contend with treacherous conditions. The search area has septic tanks, gasoline, propane tanks and other hazards. When rescuers and search dogs leave, they have to be hosed off by hazardous materials crews stationed at the edges of the debris field.
Tiring work: Search and rescue dogs have been given a break after days of sifting through debris in the rain
Huge task: Rescue workers search through the mud and debris caused by the March 22 disaster
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2594737/Washington-landslide-seen-space-shows-shocking-scale-destruction-left-wall-mud-wiped-mountainside-community.html#ixzz2xmUg1QyR
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