Scientists have said that homes buried after a deadly landslide in the north western state of Washington should never have been there.
An engineering firm warned officials in Snohomish County in 2010 that communities near the Stillaguamish River were in the "highest risk areas for lethal landslide". However, some local officials said that the mudslide "came out of nowhere".
Rescuers said that 16 people were now confirmed dead and a further 19 were missing.
Al Jazeera's John Hendren reports from Arlington in Washington.
