Reports Saying 3 Dead and up to 8 Missing in Washington Avalanche

Seattle authorities are saying that three are dead and as many as eight more are missing after an avalanche near a Washington state ski resort.

King County sheriff’s Sgt. Cindi West has said that her office started receiving reports about the avalanche near the Stevens Pass ski area just after noon on Sunday afternoon. Stevens Pass is located in the Cascade Mountains to the northeast of Seattle.

West had initially reported that two people had died, but then later confirmed that there were three deaths in the avalanche. She further stated that the deaths occurred in an out-of-bounds area near the resort. Rescue crews were en route.

The Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center issued a warning on Sunday for a high avalanche danger for areas above 5,000 feet. The elevation of the avalanche is still not completely known.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, West also stated that a snowboarder has been killed in the Alpental ski area east of Seattle. The snowboarder went over a cliff on Sunday.

The story is still breaking, and we will be here to provide more detail and clarity as the situation develops.

Do you live in the Seattle area? Have you heard any other details about the avalanche? If so, leave us some notes in the comments section below.