ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A landslide in the Alaskan town of Ketchikan has killed one person and injured three others, officials said.
Three people were taken to Ketchikan Medical Center after the landslide that struck around 4 p.m. Sunday and damaged homes and infrastructure, Ketchikan Gateway Borough and the City of Ketchikan said in a joint statement Sunday.
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy declared a state of emergency for Ketchikan, while Borough Mayor Rodney Dial and City Mayor Dave Kiefer issued separate emergency declarations.
“Friends, it is with heavy hearts that we inform you that the landslide in the city claimed one life, injured many, damaged houses and affected our community,” Dial said in the statement.
The loss of life is “heartbreaking, and my heart goes out to those who lost their homes,” Kiefer said.
“In my 65 years in Ketchikan, I’ve never seen a slide this big. “With the slides we’ve seen across the region, there’s clearly a region-wide issue that we need to try to understand with the support of our state geologist,” Kiefer said.
Two victims were hospitalized and one was treated and released. All other persons have been taken into account, the statement said.
Several homes were affected by the landslide and residents of Third Avenue and nearby streets were ordered to evacuate, while a shelter was set up at Ketchikan High School, the borough and city said.
A secondary landslide area south of the original slide location was identified and crews were standing by, the report said.
Some affected areas have been restored to power by 8:15 p.m., while other areas will be without power while landslides are cleared and broken power poles are replaced, the municipality and city administration said.
Multiple local and state agencies responded to the landslide in the southeast Alaska town, located 297 miles (478 kilometers) south of Juneau, the state capital.
A Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management response specialist and federal Department of Transportation personnel will travel to Ketchikan on Monday, Dunleavy said.
“I have directed state agencies to make all resources and personnel available for the response effort,” Dunlevy said, adding that the city is receiving assistance from the state Emergency Operations Center.
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