Video: Mudslides are not rare on the Western Slope, Colorado geologist says

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(Photo: Courtesy of the Mesa County Sheriff's Office)
<p>A view of the mudslide area taken by UAV by the Mesa County Sheriff&#039;s Office on Monday, May 26, 2014.</p>

Geologists are observing the area near the massive mudslide near Collbran, Colo., waiting to see if more slides are likely.

On Sunday, the ground fell away from a mountain creating a field of rock, mud and debris nearly 3 miles long and hundreds of feet deep in some areas.

Search and rescue officials fear the slide took the lives of three men who were in the area investigating what may have been an earlier event. But they've called off the search because the ground is too unstable for rescuers to safely look for the victims.

Local officials are also worried that a pool of water building up behind the landslide may cause additional slides or even break through.

Karen Berry, interim State Geologist and Director of the Colorado Geological Survey, says Sunday’s landslide took place in an area that’s well-known for these types of events.