(Al Jazeera Media Network) Rescuers in the US state of Texas are scrambling to locate more than two dozen children still missing from a Christian summer camp after a powerful storm caused flash floods that authorities say have killed at least 27 people.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha told reporters on Saturday that the death toll included at least nine children.
Leitha said around 800 people had been evacuated from the region, about 137 km northwest of San Antonio, as flood waters receded on Saturday morning.
Torrential downpour on Friday caused the fast-flowing Guadalupe River to rise nearly nine metres near the Camp Mystic summer camp, where around 750 children were staying.
Twenty-seven attendees were still unaccounted for, according to Dalton Rice, city manager of the nearby town of Kerrville in Kerr County.
The Heart O’ The Hills summer camp, located about 1.6 km from Camp Mystic, confirmed on Saturday that its director, Jane Ragsdale, was among the dead.
While the National Weather Service (NWS) said the flash-flood emergency had largely ended for Kerr County – the epicentre of the flooding – it warned of more heavy rain to come, maintaining its flood watch until 7 pm local time (00:00 GMT on Sunday).
Rice said that more than 1,000 rescuers were on the ground to help with search-and-rescue efforts. Helicopters and drones were being used, with some people being plucked from trees. US Coast Guard helicopters had flown in to assist.
“They are looking in every possible location,” said Rice, adding that search crews were facing harsh conditions while scouring waterlogged rivers, culverts and rocks.
