108 missing after Washington State landslide

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Authorities in the northwestern U.S. state of Washington said on Monday that as many as 108 people were listed as missing or unaccounted for after Saturday's landslide.

"The number of dead is still confirmed at eight" after the mudslide swept through dozens of homes of a former fishing village about 88 km northeast of Seattle, the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

The office also warned on Monday afternoon that there were concerns about the potential of additional slide activity at the site of Saturday's landslide.

Initial reports said six homes were washed away in an area of 2. 6 square kilometers, and the latest reports put the number of structures hit at 49 and those destroyed at about 30.

Snohomish County emergency director John Pennington cautioned that the figure of the missing or accounted for would likely decline dramatically, saying that the list of 108 names was collected from various sources that authorities are working from.

"It's a soft 108," Pennington was quoted by local media as saying.

On Sunday, Snohomish County Fire District 21 Chief Travis Hots told a news briefing that "there was no sign of life" in the debris.

Search resumed Monday morning in the mud up to 4.6 meters deep.

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