Obama Meets Survivors Of Deadly Mudslide

President Barack Obama has met survivors of the mudslide that killed at least 41 people in Washington state and said the nation was "thinking of them".

He surveyed the devastation from the air in the Marine One helicopter, exactly a month after the disaster struck the community of Oso.

Afterwards, he told the residents the country was grieving with them as they struggled to rebuild homes and businesses.

A wall of land and rocks came down a hillside on March 22, burying dozens of homes in Oso, about 55 miles (90km) north of Seattle. Two names remain on a list of missing people.

Mr Obama said: "There are families who have lost everything, and it's going to be a difficult road ahead for them.

"That's why I wanted to come here. To let you know that the country is thinking about all of you."

The US leader met victims' families and first responders, and with recovery operations still taking place, he added: "We're not going anywhere. We'll be here as long as it takes."

Crews continue to dig through the wreckage in a search for bodies, focusing on a small area where those two victims are believed to be buried.

The main highway - State Route 530 - is still covered in about 100,000 cubic metres of debris, and the state's Department of Transportation estimates it could take up to three more months to clear the road.

Mr Obama earlier this month declared a major disaster had occurred in the state, making it possible for affected families to obtain financial aid.

The Homeland Security Department, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers are also helping.

Mr Obama made the stop in Oso while on his way to Asia, where he will visit Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines.