Y
Yahoo! News
Guest
By Eric M. Johnson ARLINGTON, Washington (Reuters) - Washington state officials said the confirmed death toll from a huge mudslide in the U.S. Pacific Northwest was likely to rise sharply from 25 on Friday as residents accused local authorities of a slow early response to the disaster that had cost lives. "In the next 24 to 48 hours, as the medical examiner's office catches up with the difficult work that they have to do, you're going to see these numbers increase substantially," fire district chief Travis Hots said on Thursday. "This is going to get harder and harder," said Dan Rankin, mayor of nearby Darrington, as he choked back tears at a town hall meeting attended by hundreds on Thursday evening. "We need each other more and more." Shawn Scott, 51, a former U.S. soldier living in Darrington, said he went in as an authorized volunteer on Monday and Tuesday, but by Wednesday, as it became increasingly clear that no one else would be found alive, he stayed home.
Continue reading...
Continue reading...
