Current:Home > Finance4th victim in Alaska landslide is 11-year-old girl; 2 people still missing, officials say -SecureWealth Bridge
4th victim in Alaska landslide is 11-year-old girl; 2 people still missing, officials say
View
Date:2025-04-16 16:17:03
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! (13)
Related
- At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
- Greece’s opposition Syriza party splits as several prominent members defect
- Dubai Air Show opening as aviation soars following pandemic lockdowns, even as wars cloud horizon
- Why is Thanksgiving so expensive? Here's what the data says
- Juan Soto praise of Mets' future a tough sight for Yankees, but World Series goal remains
- Caribbean island of Dominica creates world’s first marine protected area for endangered sperm whale
- Robert De Niro's company found liable in gender discrimination lawsuit filed by former assistant
- Megan Rapinoe hobbles off the pitch after injury early in the final match of her career
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- Military training efforts for Ukraine hit major milestones even as attention shifts to Gaza
Ranking
- At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
- Former Ghana striker Raphael Dwamena dies after collapsing during Albanian Super League soccer game
- US Rhodes scholars selected through in-person interviews for the first time since COVID pandemic
- Tiny Pretty Things' Barton Cowperthwaite Is Battling Cancer
- Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
- Hamas-run health ministry releases video inside Al-Shifa hospital as Israeli forces encircle northern Gaza
- Which restaurants are open Thanksgiving 2023? See Starbucks, McDonald's, Cracker Barrel hours
- Shark attack in Australia leaves woman with extremely serious head injuries
Recommendation
New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
Britney Spears' manager reacts to 'SNL' poking fun at 'The Woman in Me' audiobook auditions: 'Pathetic'
There’s another wildfire burning in Hawaii. This one is destroying irreplaceable rainforest on Oahu
US Rhodes scholars selected through in-person interviews for the first time since COVID pandemic
Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
Part of Interstate 10 near downtown Los Angeles closed indefinitely until repairs made; motorists urged to take public transport
After massive fire closes Los Angeles interstate, motorists urged to take public transport
NC State stuns No. 2 UConn, beating Huskies in women's basketball for first time since 1998