TEXAS: Rescue operations are underway in central Texas as authorities search for missing individuals following devastating flash floods that have claimed 51 lives, including 15 children.
Kerr County has been hit the hardest, reporting 43 deaths and 27 missing children from a Christian youth camp situated along the Guadalupe River. “The mission goes on and will not end until everyone is accounted for,” said Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha.
Fatalities have also been reported in other regions of the state, including Travis and Tom Green counties. Flash flood warnings remain active across central Texas through the weekend, according to BBC.
So far, around 850 people have been rescued from flood-affected areas.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday afternoon, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that he had expanded the state’s disaster declaration to intensify search operations. He pledged that authorities would not rest until every missing person is found, stressing, “We will stop when the job is completed.”
Officials emphasized that the operation is still focused on search and rescue, not recovery. Teams are combing the Guadalupe River for anyone who may have been swept away.
President Donald Trump stated that the federal government is coordinating closely with local officials to support the emergency response.
(Inputs from BBC)
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