3 die in big landslide in Wash.

Associated Press

SEATTLE

A massive landslide of dirt, trees and rocks in rural Washington killed three people Saturday, injured at least eight others and destroyed six houses, authorities said.

The slide — at least 135 feet wide and 180 feet deep — hit just before 11 a.m., Snohomish County authorities said.

The landslide completely blocked State Route 530 near the town of Oso, about 55 miles north of Seattle. Also blocked was the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River, and there were concerns about possible downstream flooding affecting more homes.

People who live in the North Fork’s flood plain, from the small communities of Oso to Stanwood, were urged to flee to higher ground.

Initially, the Snohomish County sheriff’s office reported that two people had been killed in the landslide. Authorities said later that one of the people who was rescued died at a hospital.