Snohomish County authorities confirmed late Thursday that they had received the bodies of 17 victims of the mudslide that devastated the Washington state town.
In a statement, the Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office said the latest number includes the body of an infant, 4-month-old Sanoah Huestis, whose remains were found in the mudslide debris.
"We understand there has been confusion over the reported number of fatalities," said Travis Hots, fire chief for Snohomish County Fire District 22. "This has been a challenging process for all of us. The sadness here is that we know this number will only increase."
The death toll was expected to rise as the medical examiner processed more bodies that had been recovered. There are still 90 names on a list of those are deemed missing or unaccounted for.
Officials were planning to hold a morning briefing at 9 a.m. local time (12 p.m. ET) Friday.