Search continues for mudslide victims

Hundreds of searchers continued the grueling work on Thursday of hunting for survivors and digging up bodies in the sea of mud and wreckage left by flash flooding in this wealthy coastal enclave. The death toll from Tuesday’s pre-dawn flash flood rose to 17 on Wednesday as more bodies were found. Another 17 were still reported missing. By Wednesday, 500 searchers had covered about 75 percent of the inundated area, authorities said. moves in recent months. The approvals were given on Wednesday by a defense ministry committee with authority over settlement construction.