A landslide in Ketchikan, Alaska, on Sunday killed one person and injured three others while prompting a mandatory evacuation, The Associated Press (AP) reported.
The Ketchikan Gateway Borough and City of Ketchikan said in a joint statement that the landslide struck around 4 p.m., damaging houses and infrastructure, according to The AP. State and local authorities addressed the disaster, with Alaska governor Mike Dunleavy declaring a state of emergency, The AP reported. (RELATED: 1 Dead, Several Missing After Large Landslide In Alaska)
Update: One person died in today’s landslide and three people were taken to Ketchikan Medical Center, local officials said. Ketchikan High School is serving as an emergency shelter for displaced residents. https://t.co/nldsrEQKhc pic.twitter.com/BWDx4Gz3wS
— Anchorage Daily News (@adndotcom) August 26, 2024
Borough Mayor Rodney Dial said in a statement that the “landslide in the city has taken a life, caused several injuries, damaged homes and impacted our community,” according to the outlet.
Dave Kiffer, city Mayor, said the loss of life was “heartbreaking, and my heart goes out to those who lost their homes,” The AP reported.
Kiffer added, “In my 65 years in Ketchikan, I have never seen a slide of this magnitude. With the slides we have seen across the region, there is clearly a region-wide issue that we need to try to understand with the support of our State geologist.”
The borough and city said a mandatory evacuation was ordered for the affected area and that a shelter was set up at Ketchikan High School, according to The AP.
Authorities said there was a potential for a second landslide south of the original location and that crews were at the ready, the outlet reported.
The landslide knocked out power in the city located 297 miles south of the capital, Juneua, but some areas had restored it by 8:15 pm, according to The AP.
Governor Dunleavy said that Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Response Specialist and federal Department of Transportation crews were en route to Ketchikan Monday, the outlet reported.
“I have directed state agencies to make available all resources and staff for the response effort,” Dunleavy said.
