24 killed, 25 missing in Texas flash floods

KABUL (Pajhwok): At least 24 people have been killed and about 25 are missing following flash floods triggered by torrential rains along the Guadalupe River in Texas, media reports said on Saturday.

The victims include several children from all-girls Christian summer camp located along the riverbanks.

According to Reuters, authorities confirmed that approximately 23 to 25 individuals are unaccounted for at the camp.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, speaking at a late Friday news conference, said that search-and-rescue efforts would continue through the night and into Saturday.

He emphasized that "limitless" resources would be dedicated to the recovery operation.

President Donald Trump, speaking aboard Air Force One after a day of public events, assured federal support, saying, "We'll take care of them," when asked about aid for the disaster.

Dalton Rice, city manager of Kerrville, the county seat, explained that the extreme flooding occurred before dawn, with little or no warning, preventing authorities from issuing evacuation orders.

He said the Guadalupe River rose rapidly above major flood stage in less than two hours.

"This happened very quickly, within a very short period of time that could not be predicted, even with radar," Rice said.

State emergency management officials had previously warned of heavy rain and flash flood risks for central and west Texas ahead of the holiday weekend.

At Friday night’s briefing, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha confirmed that 24 flood-related fatalities had been reported, up from an earlier count of 13. A further casualty was found in neighboring Kendall County, but it has not yet been confirmed as flood-related.

Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick reported on Friday afternoon that authorities were searching for 23 missing girls from among more than 750 children attending various summer camps along the Guadalupe River when the floodwaters inundated the area at around 4 a.m. local time.

sa