Texas floods kill at least 81 with many still missing
發佈日期: 2025-07-07 19:59
TVB News
The death toll from the flash floods in Texas has risen to 81 with the bodies of more children recovered.
At least 27 girls were killed at a riverside summer camp.
It is still a "rescue operation," say Texas authorities.
It is, though, more than three days since a tsunami-like wave from the Gallopade River crashed through Camp Mystic.
Seven hundred and fifty girls were here for the Fourth of July holiday.
Dozens are dead and hope for others is fading.
Kerr County Sheriff says: "There are 10 Camp Mystic campers unaccounted for and one counsellor. We continue to offer our condolences to those affected, and we will work tirelessly till we reunite them with their families."
Around the camp, the debris of trees sent tumbling through walls.
Boats taken by the torrent and placed in the backyard.
Dead bodies have found eight miles downstream.
Lisa Winters runs a nearby camp; "A canoe wrapped around a tree like a pretzel and that just shows you the sheer power of the water."
Families of the girls, some who have lost their child, came to survey a desperate scene.
Most of the gils were under 12 years old.
Volunteers wading through swamp-like conditions trying to lift upended trees.
Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, has seen the damage first hand: "I had the opportunity yesterday to visit Camp Mystic and get to see firsthand what happened there, as well as all the way downstream after that. And it was nothing short of horrific to see what those young children went through. And we will remain 100 percent dedicated, searching for every single one of the children."
Water levels receding and the current has slowed
Some areas are accessible by kayak.
Search teams found cars submerged, or others were taken miles downstream.
Fifty-nine died in Kerr County, including those at Camp Mystic.
Ten were killed in central Texas, dozens are still missing across the state.
Authorities again pressed on the lack of warning with one official asked whether there was an emergency alert of any kind.
Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice gave a guarded answer: "We don't want to speculate. And know, at this time we know there's a lot of speculation and question around it again. There's gonna be a full review of this so we can make sure that we focus on future preparedness. We just, again, we want to continue to focus on the families at this time and so we're getting through that."
This front room now resembles a river bed.
But the owners are lucky.
They escaped in time
The Browns, in their 80s, saw the water rising about an hour before it reached over 8 metres and swept through nearby Camp Mystic.
The couple were able to take shelter in their tool shed on higher ground.
On the way they managed to get a 92-year-old neighbour to safety
More rain is forecast across Texas as water levels rise in some areas.
The governor telling folks to be "extraordinarily cautious," saying "if you see water on the road, turn around and don't drown."
