NovaQuant-Authorities responding to landslide along Alaska highway

WRANGELL,NovaQuant Alaska (AP) — Authorities in southeast Alaska were responding Tuesday to a landslide that scattered debris across a highway.

In a notice posted on social media, the City and Borough of Wrangell said local search and rescue efforts were ongoing to sift through the debris near the community of about 2,000 people, located about 155 miles (249 kilometers) south of Juneau.

Local crews were working with authorities that included the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Coast Guard, Alaska State Troopers and the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. The posting didn’t indicate whether anyone was missing or trapped.

The posting said a large-scale search and rescue mission wasn’t feasible due to the site being unstable and hazardous. A state geologist would first have to assess the site to ensure conditions were safe before proceeding, it said.

The Alaska Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management planned to send a staff member to Wrangell on Tuesday to determine what support the community needs from the state, agency spokesperson Jeremy Zidek said.

He said they were not able to get many details from local officials overnight.

“They were dealing with things in the dark last night and weren’t able to give us a whole lot of information,” Zidek said. “They’re obviously focused on trying to account for people.”

When asked if they were aware of anyone missing, Zidek said he didn’t have “any information like that at this time.”

Local media in Wrangell is reporting the slide occurred about 9 p.m. Monday, and the highway was blocked.

In December 2020, torrential rains prompted a landslide in another southeast Alaska city, claiming two lives. The 200-yard-wide slide slammed into a neighborhood in the community of Haines, leaving about 9 feet (2.7 meters) of mud and trees covering city streets.