Landslide and Mudslide Death Toll in California Reaches 15

Rescue operations for residents trapped by landslides and mudslides in Southern California continued on Wednesday. According to the New York Times, as a result of the mudslide in extensive areas of Northwest Los Angeles that occurred on Tuesday, 15 people have been killed and more than 10 injured so far. These areas were the scene of the largest wildfire in California's history a few weeks ago. State officials reported that currently more than 10 people are missing and about 300 are trapped in their homes. A spokesperson for the Santa Barbara Fire Department said that with the cessation of heavy rains that caused the landslide, rescue teams are clearing fallen trees and boulders that have blocked roads and destroyed local residents' homes. According to this spokesperson, a large volume of mud has covered the area, making road clearing and assistance to people more difficult. The massive mudslide was not an accident but a consequence of heavy rains following the wildfire in California. Given the destruction of much of the vegetation and trees in the area due to the fire weeks ago, the soil in these areas became vulnerable to heavy rainfall. The police chief of Santa Barbara County stated early Wednesday in an interview with CBS News that responsible agencies are still identifying and gathering information about those residents that rescue teams have not yet been able to reach. He noted that it is still unclear exactly how many people are trapped due to this situation. For residents and rescue agencies in the area, who were still dealing with the aftermath of the extensive wildfire weeks ago, Tuesday was a bitter day, with incidents from previous weeks such as road blockages, power and gas outages, evacuation of thousands of residents, and search operations for victims repeating. The New York Times added that due to the landslide and mud movement in the area, two major highways, 101 and 110, have been blocked, and local officials say Highway 101 is likely to remain closed until Thursday. According to local officials, repairing power transmission lines and gas pipelines in the affluent Montecito area, which has affected about 6,000 homes and businesses, may take several days. Additionally, drinking water for a large portion of this residential area is now cut off. Local officials in Santa Barbara County, who had predicted the possibility of flooding, announced mandatory evacuation for about 7,000 residents on Sunday evening, but many of these individuals preferred to stay in their homes. The public relations officer for Santa Barbara County stated that staff have visited each home and asked residents to evacuate the area, but many did not heed this advice. The spokesperson for the Santa Barbara Fire Department said that during the rescue operations, 8 people have been rescued, including a 14-year-old girl who was trapped in a completely destroyed house.