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Crews search for missing dozens after Texas floods

On Wednesday, search teams continued to sift through debris in Texas Hill Country as hopes for finding more survivors dimmed. This was five days after flash flooding ravaged the area, killing at least 100 people, many of them children.

According to the figures released by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, as of Tuesday evening there were still more than 170 missing people. Since Friday, no one has been found alive.

The majority of fatalities and missing persons were in Kerr County. Kerrville, the county seat was devastated by torrential rains that flooded the area on Friday morning, July 4. This caused the Guadalupe River's level to reach nearly 30 feet within a few hours.

At a press briefing on Wednesday, Kerr County sheriff Larry Leitha informed reporters that the death toll was 95 in Kerr, including 30 children.

This figure includes at the very least 27 girls and their counselors who attend Camp Mystic on the Guadalupe, a Christian summer retreat for girls.

Authorities warned that the death count will continue to rise as floodwaters receded and search teams discovered more victims.

The public has been questioned for days about whether officials could have warned people of flood-prone areas earlier. Reporting by Jane Ross and Joseph Ax, both in Kerrville; editing by Frank McGurty

(source: Reuters)