ARLINGTON, Wash. (AP) — Hopes of finding any more survivors from a massive mudslide that killed at least eight people waned as searchers pulled more bodies from the tangled debris field and crews worked through the night into Monday in rural Washington state. 
 
 A house is seen destroyed in the mud on Highway 530 next to mile marker 37 on Sunday, March 23, 2014, the day after a giant landslide occurred near mile marker 37 near Oso, Washington. At least six homes... (Associated Press) 
 
 Washington Governor Jay Inslee talks privately with two residents personally affected by the mudslide after a media presser at Arlington City Hall on Sunday, March 23, 2014, the day after a giant landslide... (Associated Press) 
 
 A house is seen destroyed in the mud on Highway 530 next to mile marker 37 on Sunday, March 23, 2014, the day after a giant landslide occurred near mile marker 37 near Oso, Washington. At least six homes... (Associated Press) 
 
 Tom Moff with Snohomish County looks down at the Stillaguamish River as it maintains a low but steady flow off of Whitman Road on Highway 530 on Sunday, March 23, 2014, the day after a giant landslide... (Associated Press) 
 
 A demolished house sits in the mud on Highway 530, Sunday, March 23, 2014 the day after a giant landslide occurred near Oso, Wash. The slide of mud, trees and rocks happened about 11 a.m. Saturday morning.... (Associated Press) 
 
 Washington State Patrol Trooper Hyatt, left, takes down the name of Ben Reneau, an Arlington resident on his way to visit his aunt and uncle who live in Grant Creek, at Highway 530 near Jim Creek Rd.,... (Associated Press) 
 
 Gov. Jay Inslee speaks during a news conference at Arlington City Hall, Sunday, March 23, 2014 the day after a mudslide occurred near Oso, Wash. on Highway 530. Rescue crews searched into the night for... (Associated Press) 
 
 David King, left, on his way to visit a friend who lives a few miles down the road, pulls out his identification to show Washington State Patrol's Trooper Hyatt at Highway 530 next to Jim Creek Road on... (Associated Press) 
 
 After spending the night at a Red Cross shelter, Reed Miller, 75, recounts the loss of his home in Oso, Wash., Sunday, March 23, 2014, at Post Middle School in Arlington, Wash. Miller was grocery shopping... (Associated Press) 
 
 Barbara Welsh, center, a mudslide victim whose husband is still missing, is comforted by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, right, following a news conference outside of the Arlington Police Department, Sunday,... (Associated Press) 
 
 Barbara Welsh, center, a mudslide victim whose husband is still missing, is comforted by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, right, following a news conference outside of the Arlington Police Department, Sunday,... (Associated Press) 
 
 Snohomish County residents listen to Washington Gov. Jay Inslee during a news conference outside of the Arlington Police Department, Sunday, March 23, 2014, in Arlington, Wash. Over a dozen people are... (Associated Press) 
 
 The orange X on a house, destroyed in the mud, indicates it has been searched for people on Highway 530, Sunday, March 23, 2014 the day after a giant landslide occurred near Oso, Wash. Rescue crews searched... (Associated Press) 
 
 Snohomish County residents and media study a map of the mudslide area outside of the Arlington Police Department, Sunday, March 23, 2014, in Arlington, Wash. Over a dozen people are unaccounted for after... (Associated Press) 
 
 The Oso Community Church displays a sign reading "pray with us for our community" in Oso off of Highway 530 on Sunday, March 23, 2014, the day after a giant landslide occurred near mile marker 37. At... (Associated Press) 
 
 Washington State Patrol Trooper Hyatt takes down the name of a driver as he monitors Highway 530 near Jim Creek Rd., which is closed to everyone but residents and family members, Sunday, March 23, 2014... (Associated Press) 
 
 In this aerial photo taken Saturday, March 23, 2014, a massive mudslide is shown in between the towns of Darrington, Wash., and Arlington, Wash. The slide killed at least three people and many people... (Associated Press) 
 
 Jessica Nemnich, left, and Eric Finzimer, both volunteer firefighters, clean and re-check their equipment as they await instructions in the aftermath of the Highway 530 landslide at the Darrington Distrct... (Associated Press) 
 
 A house is seen destroyed in the mud on Highway 530 next to mile marker 37 on Sunday, March 23, 2014, the day after a giant landslide occurred near mile marker 37 near Oso, Washington. At least six homes... (Associated Press) 
 
 An aerial view shows a huge volume of earth missing from the side of a hill facing Stillaguamish River, in a landslide along State Route 530, between the cities of Arlington and Darrington, on Saturday,... (Associated Press) 
 
 Search and rescue teams took to the air in helicopters and the ground on foot on Sunday looking for anyone who might still be alive. Their spirits had been raised late Saturday night when they heard voices calling for help from the flotsam of trees, dirt and wreckage. Dangerous conditions forced them to turn back in the darkness, but they resumed their work at first light Sunday. 
 
 "We didn't see or hear any signs of life out there today," Snohomish County Fire District 21 Chief Travis Hots said. "It's very disappointing to all emergency responders on scene." 
 
 Snohomish County sheriff's Lt. Rob Palmer said four more bodies were discovered late Sunday. Earlier in the day, authorities said one body had been found on the debris field. Three people were already confirmed dead on Saturday. 
 
 More people remained missing, and authorities said the number was "fluid." Earlier Sunday, they said it was at least 18, but that count came before additional bodies were discovered. 
 
 The 1-square-mile slide also critically injured several people - including an infant - and destroyed about 30 homes. 
 
 Crews were able to get to the soupy, tree-strewn area that was 15-feet deep in places Sunday after geologists flew over in a helicopter and determined it was safe enough for emergency responders and technical rescue personnel to search for possible survivors, Hots said 
 
 He added that they did not search the entire debris field, only drier areas safe to traverse. Hots said crews were still in a "search and rescue mode. It has not gone to a recovery mode at this time." 
 
 Searchers planned to continue looking through the night. 
 
 Before crews could get onto the debris field late Sunday morning, they looked for people by helicopter. They had late Saturday heard people yelling for help, but they were unable to reach anyone. The soupy mud was so thick and deep that searchers had to turn back. 
 
 "We have this huge square-mile mudflow that's basically like quicksand," Hots said Sunday. 
 
 The slide wiped through what neighbors described as a former fishing village of small homes — some nearly 100 years old. 
 
 As the search for the missing continued, authorities said some may have been able to get out on their own. The number unaccounted for could change because some people may have been in cars and on roads when the slide hit just before 11 a.m. Saturday. 
 
 Officials described the mudslide as "a big wall of mud and debris." It blocked about a mile of State Route 530 near the town of Oso, about 55 miles north of Seattle. It was reported to be about 15 feet deep in some areas. 
 
 Authorities believe the slide was caused by ground made unstable by recent heavy rainfall. 
 
 Washington Gov. Jay Inslee described the scene as "a square mile of total devastation" after flying over the disaster area midday Sunday. He assured families that everything was being done to find their missing loved ones. 
 
 The slide blocked the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River. With the water pooling behind the debris, authorities worried about downstream flooding and issued an evacuation notice Saturday. The water had begun to seep through the blockage Sunday afternoon, alleviating some concerns. 
 
 Snohomish County officials said Sunday that residents could return home during daylight hours. Even though the evacuation had been lifted, Inslee urged residents to remain alert. 
 
 The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch for Snohomish County through Monday afternoon. 
 
 Shari Ireton, a spokeswoman for the Snohomish County sheriff's office, said Sunday that a total of eight people were injured in the slide. 
 
 A 6-month-old boy and an 81-year-old man remained in critical condition Sunday morning at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg said two men, ages 37 and 58, were in serious condition, while a 25-year-old woman was upgraded to satisfactory condition. 
 
 Bruce Blacker, who lives just west of the slide, doesn't know the whereabouts of six neighbors. 
 
 "It's a very close knit community," Blacker said as he waited at an Arlington roadblock before troopers let him through. 
 
 Search-and-rescue help came from around the region, including the Washington State Patrol and the Army Corps of Engineers. More than 100 were at the scene. 
 
 Dane Williams, 30, who lives a few miles from the mudslide, spent Saturday night at a Red Cross shelter at the Arlington school. 
 
 He said he saw a few "pretty distraught" people at the shelter who didn't know the fate of loved ones who live in the stricken area. 
 
 "It makes me want to cry," Williams said. 
 
 Hots said searchers would continue their efforts through the difficult debris field. 
 
 "There may be people in their cars, there may be people in houses," he said. 
 
 ___ 
 
 Associated Press writers Phuong Le and Chris Grygiel in Seattle contributed to this report. ||||| Darrington, Washington (CNN) -- Brenda Neal was still at the firehouse at midnight, watching as rescuers caked with mud returned from the search for survivors of a massive landslide in rural Washington state. 
 
 But they had no answers for her about her missing husband, Steven. 
 
 There was despair on their faces, she said. 
 
 Rescuers on Tuesday continued to battle debris and mud -- with the consistency of quicksand in some places -- in the search for survivors, but hopes dimmed as news broke that more bodies were found. 
 
 "Unfortunately, we didn't find any signs of life," Snohomish County Fire District 21 Chief Travis Hots told reporters during a briefing. 
 
 The number of dead climbed to as high as 24 with the recovery Tuesday of two more bodies and another eight believed to have been located in the debris. 
 
 Authorities did not immediately release the identities of the dead nor did they provide details about where the bodies were found. 
 
 At least 176 people are unaccounted for. Officials have stressed those unaccounted for are not necessarily all victims of the disaster. They say they believe many names have been duplicated. 
 
 Three sheriff's deputies who specialize in missing persons cases have begun reviewing the lists to get a more accurate count, Snohomish County Emergency Management Director John Pennington said. 
 
 Steven Neal's family holds out hope, despite discouraging signs. 
 
 Neal is a plumber who was on a service call in the area where the landslide hit. 
 
 "None of us feel like he's gone," Brenda Neal said. 
 
 Her daughter, Sara, agreed: "I think if anyone had a chance to getting through, it would be him." 
 
 The waiting came to end Tuesday for the family of U.S. Navy Cmdr. John Regelbrugge, 49, whose body and that of his dog were found by his brothers, his sister-in-law, Jackie Leighton, told CNN. Still missing is Regelbrugge's wife, she said. 
 
 On Monday, search efforts yielded a grim result -- six bodies. 
 
 But searchers still are going through the area with the hopes of making rescues, Pennington said earlier Tuesday morning. 
 
 "I believe in miracles, and I believe people can survive these events. They've done it before," and they can do it again, he told reporters. 
 
 The landslide covered about a square mile and was caused by groundwater saturation tied to heavy rain in the area over the past month. It affected Oso, with a population of about 180, and Darrington, a town of about 1,350. 
 
 Authorities have been warning the search area remains unstable 
 
 A volunteer rescue worker was injured Tuesday while working in an area where the landslide struck, according to a statement released by the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office. The rescue worker was hit in the head by debris kicked up "in helicopter wash," it said. 
 
 President Barack Obama, in the Netherlands on Tuesday, asked that "all Americans to send their thoughts and prayers to Washington state and the community of Oso." 
 
 Obama said he had spoken with Gov. Jay Inslee and signed an emergency declaration. 
 
 Early hopeful signs, such as the rescue of a 4-year-old boy on the day of the landslide, have faded for some. 
 
 A survivor, Robin Youngblood, cared for the rescued boy immediately after he was pulled out. 
 
 "They brought him to us in the ambulance. I took all his clothes off because he was freezing," she told CNN affiliate KCPQ-TV. 
 
 She comforted him but suggested he may be facing a life-altering event. 
 
 "I wrapped him up and held him and told him I was a grandma and couldn't find the rest of his family," she said. 
 
 More and more stories of those unaccounted for continue to emerge. 
 
 Nicole Webb Rivera is missing her parents, her daughter and her daughter's fiance. 
 
 The last communication Rivera had with them was a Facebook comment that her daughter posted Saturday morning. 
 
 When she was unable to reach them, she knew her worst fear was realized. She says she believes her daughter and her fiance were at the home of Rivera's parents in Darrington. 
 
 "This is catastrophic for our community and all of us who are waiting for word on our family members," Rivera told CNN's Anderson Cooper. "It's such beyond the scope of my four missing family members. It's grief for our whole town." 
 
 Some 49 structures were affected or destroyed by the landslide, Pennington told CNN. 
 
 Geologists said the area affected by the slide is not unstable, but rescuers face great challenges. 
 
 "The best analogy, I think, is a microcosm of Mount St. Helens," Pennington said. "This went down, it went hard, it went fast, and the debris is deep." 
 
 Peering across the devastated landscape, Cory Kuntz just shook his head. 
 
 "When you look at it, you just get in shock," he told CNN affiliate KING-TV. "You kind of go numb." 
 
 Kuntz lost his aunt and his home in Oso. 
 
 Thanks to the efforts of friends and neighbors, his uncle was rescued, though he was nearly buried alive. 
 
 "They heard him pounding on that roof. He had a little air pocket and a stick. He said he was poking up on it, banging on it," Kuntz said. "My neighbors and my friends came and started digging him out and just couldn't get to my aunt in time." 
 
 The first reports of the landslide came in about 10:45 a.m. Saturday (1:45 p.m. ET), the sheriff's office said. 
 
 Geologist Dave Norman said the landslide was about 4,400 feet wide with a wide debris field. In some places, the debris is 30 to 40 feet thick. 
 
 "This is one of the biggest landslides I have ever seen," Norman said. 
 
 CNN's Ana Cabrera reported from Darrington, Washington, and Ed Payne and Mariano Castillo reported and wrote from Atlanta. George Howell, Chelsea J. Carter, Matt Smith, Ralph Ellis and Janet DiGiacomo contributed to this report.
– Hopes are fading for people still believed to be trapped under mud and debris after a massive landslide in Washington state. At least eight people have now been confirmed dead from the mudslide that destroyed dozens of houses in a neighborhood along the Stillaguamish River, the Seattle Times reports. At least a dozen people are still missing, but rescue workers say they didn't see or hear any signs of life after working throughout the day. But despite the lack of signs of life in the debris field, the operation is still in "search and rescue mode," a local fire chief says. "It has not gone to a recovery mode at this time." Rescuers had to pull back early yesterday until geologists told them it was safe to return, the AP reports. "We have this huge square-mile mudflow that's basically like quicksand," the fire chief says. At least eight people were injured in the slide Saturday morning, which officials describe as a "a big wall of mud and debris" caused by ground made unstable by recent rainfall.