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Mudslide hits building at Buttermilk ski area in Aspen

Aspen Times Staff Report

A mudslide tumbled down the lower slopes of Buttermilk ski area Monday afternoon and knocked a hole in a cinder block maintenance facility at the base, officials said.

The initial slide occurred at about 2:30 p.m. but additional waves of water, mud and small aspen tree clumps continued coming down periodically. No one was injured but a 1,000-gallon oil tank was knocked over, causing a minor leak, according to a report from an Aspen Times reporter at the scene.

The mudslide punched a hole roughly the size of a garage door into the side of the building, a witness said. Power and gas were turned off to the building.



A crew from the Aspen Skiing Co. was working above the visible portion of the slide area to try to divert water into a drainage system on the mountain. Witnesses said the mudslide ripped a 20-foot deep gash on the lower slopes.


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