WATCH: Rescue crews continue search after last week’s deadly mudslide in Washington state
One week after a devastating mudslide flattened an area of Washington state, the death toll continues to rise.
Snohomish County officials said in a press conference Saturday night the medical examiner has confirmed one more fatality in the slide, bringing the official death toll to 18 people.
WATCH: The death toll of the mudslide rises, while the number of missing drops to 30 people. Omar Villafranca reports.
Searchers have also located another body in the mudslide debris near Oso, however the victim has yet to be identified.
Officials said due to the destructive nature of the slide, searchers are not recovering full bodies, making it difficult to identify victims.
The number of people still missing has dropped from 90 to 30 people and the number is expected to drop even further.
Rescuers and community members observed a moment of silence Saturday to remember the lives lost in the deadly slide.
According to ecology experts, the slide site is considered contaminated because of many propane and acetylene tanks, household chemicals and paint thinner leaking in the debris field.
Hazardous materials crews are assessing whether crews can safely work around the chemicals or if they have to be removed.
Many homes in the area also ran on buried septic systems, which may pose additional hazards to crews working in the debris field.
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