Search and rescue team workers walk past a demolished property in Montecito, California on January 12, 2018. Heavy rains on January 9 sent rivers of waist-high mud and debris flowing from the hills into Montecito and other towns in Santa Barbara County northwest of Los Angeles, which are still recovering from last month’s ferocious wildfires. PHOTO: FREDERIC J. BROWN / AFP

Authorities in southern California raised the death toll from mudslides that battered the region to 19 on Saturday as rescue workers continued the search for victims.

Five people are still missing after the mudslides, according to an update on the County of Santa Barbara’s website, which warned people to “anticipate the numbers of missing persons to fluctuate significantly.”

“Crews continue to search buildings and debris flows for trapped victims. The unstable environment remains a critical threat to civilians and responders,” it said.

“The large amounts of mud and debris are making access and progress challenging.”

Heavy rain on Tuesday, which followed 10 months of drought, sent sticky mud and debris flowing down the hills into Montecito.

In addition to the dead and injured, 65 homes have been destroyed while another 462 sustained damage.

Terrifying wildfires in the area forced evacuations in December, and the mudslides struck just two weeks after people returned.

The fires burned most vegetation, leaving perfect conditions for the latest disaster to unfold.

AFP