Death toll from mudslide on BC's Highway 99 rises to four

The death toll from the mudslide on British Columbia’s Highway 99 has risen to four, the BC Coroners Service confirmed on Saturday.

In a statement, chief coroner Lisa Lapointe said that one man remains unaccounted for and attempts to locate him have been unsuccessful.

“I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families who are now grieving the sudden and unexpected death of their loved one, and to the family of the missing person we have so far been unable to locate,” chief coroner Lisa Lapointe said.

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The mudslide tore across a section of Highway 99 near the community of Lillooet on Monday following significant rainfall over the weekend.

One person was found dead on Monday, and teams recovered another body on Wednesday. Two more bodies were recovered on Thursday.

The RCMP said that all search efforts have been exhausted, and discussions are underway as how, and when, to best proceed.

“This has been an incredibly difficult year for all of us in BC, and my heart goes out to the many families and communities who have suffered tragic losses,” Lapointe said

“We will continue to do our best to determine the facts of these tragedies for the public record and, where possible, make recommendations to prevent similar deaths in the future.”