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Update:
At least 70 people have died in the Texas floods and 11 girls from the Camp Mystic Christian camp remain missing, according to the latest update Sunday (July 6) morning via NBC News.
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Five missing Christian girls summer campers were among the rising death toll in relation to the catastrophic floods in Texas.
The campers, who were identified as Renee Smajstrla, 8; Sarah Marsh, 8; Janie Hunt, 9; Lila Bonner, 9, and Eloise Peck, 8; were among the Camp Mystic attendees who went missing as 22 others still remain unaccounted for, according to the New York Post. The total death toll in the floods was reported to have risen to 51, which includes 28 adults and 15 children in Kerr County.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called the storm an "extraordinarily catastrophe" and confirmed that rescue missions for the missing Christian camp girls would continue overnight during a press conference Friday (July 4) night.
“They will continue in the darkness of night, they will be taking place when the sun rises in the morning. They will be non-stop,” Abbott said.
The all-girls sleep-away camp was evacuated overnight during the storms, however, several of the campers were reportedly left behind. Some of the girls were reportedly located and are stranded, however, dozens remain unaccounted for.
“That does not mean they’ve been lost. They could be in a tree. They could be out of communication. We’re praying for all those missing to be found alive,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick specified on Friday via the New York Post..
Staffers sent an email to families informing them of the incident and confirmed that the camp had lost power, water and WiFi during the incident.
“If you have not been personally contacted, then your daughter is accounted for,” the email, which was obtained by KSAT, stated. “We are working with search and rescue currently. The highway has washed away so we are struggling to get more help.”
Camp Mystic said the missing children varied in ages between 7 and 17.