At least 24 people were killed, while dozens are still missing, including 20 girls from a summer camp, as a result of flash floods that swept Kerr County, Texas, late Thursday night.

According to local authorities, unprecedented heavy rains, amounting to about 25 centimeters within a few hours, caused a violent flood of the Guadalupe River, which led to torrents sweeping large areas of the province.

Rescue teams are racing against time in intensive search operations using boats and helicopters, and 237 people have been evacuated so far. Efforts are particularly focused on finding the missing girls from the Mystic summer camp in the town of Hunt.

The district police chief, Larry Letha, confirmed during a press conference held on Friday evening that the death toll had risen to 24 people, noting that the authorities had begun procedures to identify the victims, amid appeals from families through social media platforms to obtain information about their missing loved ones.

Weather conditions continue to pose a challenge for rescue teams, amid warnings of the possibility of renewed flooding in low-lying areas