Four people remain missing in a deadly mudslide disaster near Lillooet

The search through mud, rocks, and debris near Lillooet is expected to resume at first light Thursday, but conditions will likely not be as favourable for those hoping to find several people missing in the mudslide.

Don Roberts with the BC RCMP confirmed four people remain unaccounted for after a massive mudslide came down without notice on Highway 99-Duffey Lake Road north of Pemberton on Monday.

One woman from the Lower Mainland was confirmed to have died in the slide, and many other families are still without answers.

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“That’s devastating news for a family, devastating news for all British Columbians, but sadly we expect to confirm even more fatalities in the coming days,” B.C. Premier John Horgan said Wednesday during a provincial flood update.

The BC RCMP says the situation is changing constantly and the work is complicated, made worse through snowy weather on the way.

Conditions were clear Wednesday but flurries and freezing temperatures are in store for the area Thursday, according to Environment Canada.

More @CanadianForces are on the way to help those in BC affected by #flooding. An @RCAF_ARC CC130J has left Trenton and will be staging out of #Edmonton today to deploy reconnaissance and coordination elements to BC soon @CFOperations @MARPAC_FMARP @BCGovNews @CAFinUS pic.twitter.com/T2aCTvXz55

— RCAF Operations (@RCAFOperations) November 17, 2021

A handful of Canadian Armed Forces members arrived in British Columbia Thursday, the first of what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said could be several hundred troops expected to be deployed in the coming days.

It’s unclear if they will be sent to assist the RCMP and the Pemberton Search and Rescue volunteers in the mudslide search, but the federal government has promised to help in any way needed with B.C.’s disaster.

B.C.’s minister of transportation says the priority ahead will be making repair plans for the many roads which have been damaged by the storm.

Closures 2/2 – 6 AM [PT] – THU 18 Nov 2021#BCHwy5 – #HopeBC to #MerrittBC#BCHwy7 #KentBC to #HopeBC #BCHwy8 – #MerrittBC to #SpencesBridge#BCHwy11 Closed in #Abbotsford#BCHwy99 – #Pemberton to #Lillooet

All Road Closures: https://t.co/807YyMxkcc

— DriveBC (@DriveBC) November 18, 2021

Communities north of Pemberton have been shut off as a result of the slide, and currently the only route around B.C.’s damaged highways is to head south through the United States.

“As we move forward on reestablishing our transportation corridors the outpouring of help and support has been nothing short of inspiration,” Rob Fleming said.

The minister added they were able to get a firsthand look at “the worst weather storm in a century.”

Fleming says they are developing the next course of action, and those who don’t have to travel are urged to remain home at this time.

The damage, the assessment and the recovery… in images.
We're collecting #BCstorm photos of the impacts it has had on our BC highways. We'll continue to add as more photos/videos are available.https://t.co/72xZ1tv26Q
Please drive safely and only if you have to. Check @driveBC pic.twitter.com/xS56JKHiUn

— BC Transportation (@TranBC) November 18, 2021

The premier has declared a state of emergency in response to flooding and landslides that began Sunday after record rainfall drenched much of southern B.C. for more than 48 hours.

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Flooding has left much of the Fraser Valley under water, killing thousands of farm animals in what officials are calling an agricultural disaster.

With files from The Canadian Press