Texas floods leave at least 51 dead, 27 girls missing

At least 51 people have died after heavy rain caused flash flooding, with water bursting from the banks of the Guadalupe River in Texas.

The overflowing water began sweeping into Kerr County and other areas around 4am local time on Friday, killing at least 43 people in the county.

Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha revealed during a press conference that this includes at least 15 children and 28 adults. Five youngsters and 12 adults are still being identified.

One person has died in Kendall County, which is close by. At least four people were killed in Travis County, while at least two people died in Burnet County. In Tom Green County, another individual has died in the city of San Angelo.

There are still a lot of individuals missing, including 27 girls from Camp Mystic in Kerr County, which is a Christian summer camp on the Guadalupe River.

Searchers used helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims and to rescue people stranded in trees and from camps isolated by washed-out roads.

Gov. Greg Abbott vowed that authorities will work around the clock and said new areas were being searched as the water receded. He said that Sunday will be a day of prayer for the state.

“I urge every Texan to join me in prayer this Sunday — for the lives lost, for those still missing, for the recovery of our communities, and for the safety of those on the front lines,” he said in a statement.

Authorities were coming under scrutiny over whether the camps and residents in places long vulnerable to flooding received proper warning and whether enough preparations were made.