At least 43 individuals died after extreme flooding hit the southern US state of Texas, authorities confirmed on Saturday, with a number of youngsters nonetheless lacking from a summer time camp in Kerr County, north-west of San Antonio.
State-wide, at the least 50 individuals died in relation to the floods that hit the state on Friday morning, US media reported.
“We have recovered 43 deceased individuals in Kerr County,” Sheriff Larry Leitha stated in a press briefing on Saturday night.
“Among these, who are deceased, we have 28 adults and 15 children,” the sheriff stated, including that the stays of 17 individuals have been pending identification.
Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice stated 27 youngsters from a summer time camp have been nonetheless lacking.
“We’ve been rescuing people out of these camps by the hundreds all day,” Rice stated within the press briefing.
The Christian summer time camp for ladies, positioned close to the Guadalupe River, was accommodating greater than 750 youngsters when the floods struck after heavy rainfall early on Friday.
The river rose by nearly 8 metres in a really brief span of time within the early hours of the morning, stated Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick.
US media reported at the least seven extra died in relation to the floods within the state.
Four individuals died in Travis County and three died in Burnet County in central Texas, a number of US media shops reported citing native authorities.
Another individual died in Kendall County, nonetheless it was initially unclear whether or not this loss of life was associated to the storms.
The full extent of the disaster remained unclear greater than 36 hours after the flooding started.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott stated he has issued a catastrophe declaration as a result of extreme flooding, calling it “an extraordinary catastrophe.”
In a submit on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, US President Donald Trump stated he and his spouse Melania have been “praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy.”
“The Trump Administration is working with State and Local Officials on the ground in Texas in response to the tragic flooding,” he wrote.
Source: www.anews.com.tr