Washington landslide death toll rises
Oso, Washington (CNN) - Among the mounds of mud and ripped-down trees, you see an occasional appliance, a tire here and there, the twisted cables that used to be part of the telephone system. What you don't see are homes.
They are gone. And it is difficult to even figure out where they once stood and what became of them.
The sheer force of a landslide on March 22 pulverized this neighborhood in rural Washington, leaving behind the debris where 27 bodies have been recovered and where crews painstakingly search for at least 20 people who are listed as missing.
On that awful Saturday, a rain-saturated hillside along the north fork of the Stillaguamish River gave way, sending a square-mile rush of wet earth and rock into the outskirts of the town of Oso in Washington's North Cascade Mountains.
Since then, rescuers have trudged through the muck - 70 feet thick in some places - looking for bodies, though some cling to hope someone might be found alive even 10 days later.
Death toll rises in Washington State landslide: 'It's like a war zone'
The death toll has risen even higher after a devastating landslide in Washington state.
Officials have not announced new numbers.
At last count, at least 16 people are confirmed dead and another 176 remain unaccounted for after a massive collapse ravaged two towns north of Seattle on Saturday.
Hope for survivors of Washington landslide dims amid news more bodies found
President Barack Obama urged prayers for the victims at a press conference in the Netherlands.
"I would just ask all Americans to send their thoughts and prayers to Washington state, and the community of Oso and the families and friends of those who continue to be missing," Obama said. "We hope for the best, but we recognize this is a tough situation."
Hope for survivors of landslide dims as death toll rises to 24
CNN's Bill Weir has the latest OutFront.
