Death toll in Washington state mudslide rises to 34

The death toll from the landslide that hit the Washington state community of Oso has risen to 34 after one more body was extricated from the rubble, the Snohomish County medical examiner said Tuesday. President Barack Obama is expected to visit the devastated area later this month.

The medical examiner's office said that it has received a total of 34 victims and has positively identified 30 of them. 

There are still 12 people missing after a rain-soaked hillside collapsed without warning above the north fork of the Stillaguamish River  55 miles northeast of Seattle on March 22, unleashing a torrent of mud that engulfed about three dozen homes on the outskirts of the tiny, rural community.

At least half of the missing, who include three children, lived on a road called Steelhead Drive, which the mudslide hit, according to the county.  

Recovery efforts have been hampered by rain, which has created treacherous conditions and raised the risk of further slides and flash floods. 

No one has been pulled alive from the rubble since the landslide, when at least eight people were injured but survived. 

Meanwhile, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene said Obama plans to visit the scene of the landslide later this month.

The Washington state Democrat said she talked with the president Tuesday about the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) continued support as the area copes with the aftermath of last month's disaster.

Wire services