The number of people who lost their lives after a landslide on March 22 which buried a small rural community northeast of Seattle, in Washington, has risen to 33, local authorities reported.
An undetermined number of people, estimated to be at least a dozen, are still missing and hopes to find them alive fade as the days pass.
According to Reuters, of the 33 confirmed deaths, 30 bodies have been identified, revealed a press release from the Snohomish County forensic office.
Despite the drama reigning over the area, over 600 employees of local, state and federal administrations continue to work, trying to recover the bodies of those missing.
Rescue efforts have been slowed down in recent weeks owing to rains and bad weather, which has caused instability in the area, putting rescue teams at risk; however, it's expected that the weather will improve this week, which would benefit rescue efforts.
According to Time, the funerals for the fatal victims began this weekend in the city of Oso, while additional services for those still missing are programmed for the end of the week.
Last March 22, a landslide in the small community of Oso, located 100 km north of Seattle destroyed at least 30 homes, with mud and dirt speeding down at speeds of up to 96 km/h, in what has become one of the worst natural disasters in recent times in the U.S.
Since March 22, nobody has been rescued alive from the mass of rubble and mud covering Oso.