Current:Home > Invest4th victim in Alaska landslide is 11-year-old girl; 2 people still missing, officials say -Quantum Capital Pro
4th victim in Alaska landslide is 11-year-old girl; 2 people still missing, officials say
View
Date:2025-04-13 22:01:08
Authorities recovered the body of 11-year-old Kara Heller Saturday night from debris left behind by a massive landslide in southeast Alaska that killed three other people and left two others missing, according to the Associated Press.
Heller is the fourth person confirmed killed by last Monday's landslide. The others were the girl's parents, Timothy Heller, 44, and Beth Heller, 36, and her sister Mara Heller, 16.
Rescue crews found Mara's body in the initial search, and the bodies of Timothy and Beth were found late Tuesday by a drone operator.
Search crews are looking for a third child still missing from the Heller family, Derek, 12, and neighbor Otto Florschutz, 65, the Alaska Department of Public Safety told the Associated Press.
Alaska State Troopers said in a statement last Tuesday that three homes were in the direct path of the disaster around 8:50 p.m. local time Monday near Wrangell, a fishing community with just over 2,000 residents about 155 miles southeast of Juneau.
Alaska landslide:Landslide leaves 3 dead and trail of damage in remote community of Wrangell, Alaska
Alaska landslide: search and rescue efforts
First responders were on the scenes searching for survivors, the troopers said. Authorities urged residents to contact local police if they know someone who is missing.
The landslide cut off access and power to about 75 homes, the state emergency management office said, and boats have been taking residents from the cut-off area to an unaffected part of town.
Photos posted on social media showed barren earth near the top of the mountain all the way down to the Pacific Ocean and remnants of destroyed homes.
Aaron Jacobs, a hydrologist and meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Juneau, told the Associated Press Wrangell received nearly 2 inches of rain from 1 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and wind gusts of up to 60 mph in higher elevations.
The storm was part of a system that moved through southeast Alaska and brought heavy snow to Haines and blizzard-like conditions to Juneau, Jacobs said. Areas farther south had minor flooding.
Landslides were reported near Ketchikan and on Prince of Wales Island. KTUU, a local TV station in Alaska, reported several landslides happening across the state that damaged homes, caused power outages and closed major highways.
Search suspended:5-year-old girl dies, search suspended for man swept out by California wave: Coast Guard
veryGood! (829)
Related
- In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
- More than 1,600 migrants arrive on Spanish Canary Islands. One boat carried 320 people
- Wastewater reveals which viruses are actually circulating and causing colds
- 2 years after fuel leak at Hawaiian naval base, symptoms and fears persist
- Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
- Do manmade noise and light harm songbirds in New Mexico’s oil fields? These researchers want to know
- Leading in early results, Machado claims win in Venezuelan opposition’s presidential primary
- Chargers’ Justin Herbert melts under Chiefs pressure in loss at Kansas City
- 'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
- US journalist denied release, faces lengthy sentence in Russia on foreign agent charges
Ranking
- Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
- A new benefit at top companies: College admissions counseling
- Experiencing Breakouts Even With the Best Skincare Products? Your Face Towel Might Be the Problem
- Bad blood in Texas: Astros can clinch World Series trip with win vs. Rangers in ALCS Game 6
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Man wounds himself after Georgia officers seek to question him about 4 jail escapees, sheriff says
- Georgetown women's basketball coach Tasha Butts dies after battle with breast cancer
- Georgia man shoots and kills his 77-year-old grandfather in Lithonia, police say
Recommendation
A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
Search continues for Nashville police chief's estranged son after shooting of two officers
A US watchdog says the Taliban are benefiting from international aid through ‘fraudulent’ NGOs
The task? Finish Stephen Sondheim's last musical. No pressure.
Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
The Book Report: Washington Post critic Ron Charles (October 22)
Synagogue leader fatally stabbed in Detroit, police investigate motive
Five Decades and a Mountain of Evidence: Study Explores How Toxic Chemicals are ‘Stealing Children’s Future Potential’