BELLEVUE, Wash. — Seven families are still not being allowed back into their Bellevue homes over safety concerns following a landslide that knocked a home off its foundation, causing it to collapse on Monday.
The landslide, which city Fire Chief Jay Hagan said was "reminiscent of an earthquake scenario," forced more than 40 people to evacuate their homes in the Somerset neighborhood. About 30 people were initially in need of shelter as first responders and experts assessed the damage.
“We are very fortunate that no one was seriously injured and we want to keep it that way,” Hagen said.
As of Wednesday, seven homes were "red-tagged," though not from actual damage, but because it was too dangerous to reach them.
Staff members from Bellevue's Development Services department are assessing the safety and stability of the scene in the area and working with homeowners of the collapsed home to isolate and remove any hazards that may be a risk to the neighborhood, such as falling debris. On Tuesday, officials said the home needs to be stabilized or partially demolished.
Officials continue to work on determining what led up to the incident that resulted in the home sliding off its foundation.
Officials from Bellevue Utilities have confirmed an eight-inch water main was the source of the rushing water that was spotted flowing down the driveway of the collapsed home.
However, they are not sure what led to the break in the pipe or the landslide.
The owner of the collapsed home told KING 5 he was woken up by what he described as a river rushing down his driveway. He was outside trying to find the source of the water when he learned his home collapsed, with his wife and dog still inside. They all got out safely with the help of first responders.
The investigation into the cause, which includes state agencies assessing geotechnical conditions, will take weeks or even months to complete, according to city officials.
Meanwhile, it is unclear when those seven families will be able to return home.