At least 78 dead, dozens missing as Texas reels from devastating floods

TEXAS: At least 78 people have lost their lives and 41 remain missing after powerful flash floods swept through central Texas on Friday.

The majority of the casualties—68 people, including 28 children—were reported in Kerr County, where a Christian girls’ summer camp near the Guadalupe River was severely impacted.

Ten campers and a counselor from Camp Mystic are still unaccounted for, and officials warn that the death toll is expected to rise. Additional rainfall is forecast over the next two days, posing further challenges for search and rescue teams already battling treacherous conditions, including venomous snakes, mud, and debris.

As the operation enters its fourth day, efforts are gradually shifting from rescue to recovery in what is being described as one of the largest search missions in the state’s recent history. In Kerr County alone, 18 adults and 10 children among the deceased have not yet been formally identified.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who visited the disaster zone over the weekend, vowed that authorities will spare no effort in locating those still missing. “It was heartbreaking to witness what those young children endured,” he said.

Camp Mystic, a well-known summer retreat for girls along the banks of the Guadalupe River, became the epicenter of the tragedy when the river surged an astonishing 26 feet (8 meters) in just 45 minutes—catching many campers unaware in the early morning hours.

Among those confirmed dead are several young campers and the camp’s longtime director, Richard “Dick” Eastland.

(Inputs from BBC)