Mud slides in Kaslo and Shuswap force evacuations, detours

KASLO, B.C. – The threat of further mudslides has forced the evacuation of residents from 47 homes in the southeastern B.C., community of Kaslo.

A spokeswoman for the Regional District of Central Kootenay said no one has been hurt and the slide that came down on the hillside near the homes was small.

Emergency operations centre spokeswoman Brownwen Bird said the order was issued late Monday night following the mudslide on the west side of Kootenay Lake.

"They were unable to get geotechnical staff up there before it got dark, so out of caution we decided to issue a state of local emergency and an evacuation order to get those residents out of there," she said.

A reception centre has been set up for affected residents and Bird said it was too early to say when they might be allowed to return to their homes.

Bird said a fly over of the slide area was scheduled to take place Tuesday to assess the situation.

An unrelated mudslide also cut off access along Highway 1 between Salmon Arm and Sicamous in the Shuswap region during a heavy rainstorm Monday evening, April 17.

Salmon Arm RCMP say a vehicle had to be towed off the top of the slide. No one was hurt or trapped.

Drive B.C. says the closed section of Highway 1 reopened at about 2 p.m., April 18.

— This story was updated at 2:05 p.m., Tuesday, April 18, 2017 to say the highway had reopened.