Homes and roads were damaged when the landslide hit the coastal city in southeast Alaska Sunday afternoon, the city and Ketchikan Gateway Borough said in a joint statement.
"Friends, is with a heavy heart we relay that a landslide in the city has taken a life, caused several injuries, damaged homes and impacted our community," borough mayor Rodney Dial said.
The three injured people were taken to hospital, where one was released after treatment and the other two were admitted.
Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for residents of several streets in Ketchikan as authorities warned of the risk of a secondary landslide south of the first one.
"In my 65 years in Ketchikan, I have never seen a slide of this magnitude. With the slides we have seen across the region, there is clearly a region-wide issue that we need to try to understand with the support of our State geologist," city mayor Dave Kiffer said.
"The loss of life that we have encountered is heartbreaking, and my heart goes out to those who lost their homes."
The city and borough have declared an emergency after the landslide also caused flooding and power outages.
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy also issued a disaster declaration for Ketchikan.
"All state agencies are directed to provide whatever assistance is needed. My thoughts and prayers are with the residents of Ketchikan tonight," he posted on social media platform X.
Ketchikan is on Alaska's Inside Passage, a scenic coastal route through islands in the North American Fjordland.
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