At least 27 dead at girls’ summer camp following devastating floods as 10 kids still missing

At least 82 people are confirmed to have died in central Texas following flash floods on Friday (4 July), including 27 people from a local Christian summer camp.

Rescue teams are continuing to search for 10 missing children and one counsellor from the all-girls summer camp, Camp Mystic, after the tragedy unfolded over the weekend.

A local sheriff has confirmed that 68 of the deaths were in Kerr County, which is located 65 miles northwest of San Antonio, including 28 children.

As per Sky News, at least 41 people remain missing, including at least 10 girls from the camp and one counsellor as rescue efforts continue.

"This tragedy has devastated us and our entire community. Our hearts are broken alongside the families that are enduring this tragedy, and we share their hope and prayers,” Camp Mystic told the publication in a statement.

The girls’ summer camp was located on the banks of the Guadalupe River, where the destructive and fast-moving waters rose 26 feet (eight metres) in just 45 minutes before daybreak on Friday, washing away homes and vehicles.

At least 27 people who were staying at Camp Mystic are reported to have died (RONALDO SCHEMIDT/ Getty Images)

However, the danger didn’t stop there as torrential rains continued pounding communities outside San Antonio on Saturday and flash flood warnings and watches remained in effect.

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

“We will not stop until we find everyone who is missing,” Nim Kidd, chief of Texas Department of Emergency Management, said at a press conference on Saturday afternoon.

The hills along the Guadalupe River in central Texas are dotted with century-old youth camps and campgrounds, like Camp Mystic and the area is especially popular around the July Fourth holiday.

“The camp was completely destroyed,” said Elinor Lester, 13, one of hundreds of campers. “A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary.”

The raging storm woke up her cabin just after midnight on Friday, and when rescuers arrived, they tied a rope for the girls to hold as they walked across a bridge with water whipping around their legs, she explained.

Frantic parents and families have been posting photos of missing loved ones and pleas for information, and by Saturday, the camp was mostly deserted.

10 children and one counsellor are still missing from the camp as rescue efforts continue throughout the area (Eric Vryn/Getty Images)

Among those confirmed dead were an eight-year-old girl from Mountain Brook, Alabama, who was staying at Camp Mystic, and the director of another camp just up the road.

Camp Mystic's longtime director, Richard "Dick" Eastland, is also among the dead.

According to the BBC, of those recovered in Kerr County, there were still 18 adults and 10 children who are yet to be formally identified.

As well as the fatalities in Kerr County, there are also five confirmed casualties in Travis County, three in Burnet County, two in Williamson County, two in Kendall County and one in Tom Green County.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has warned that central Texas could see more storms within the next 24-48 hours.

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