Death Toll Rises To 70 In Texas Flood Disaster, Including 15 Children At Christian Summer Camp

The death toll from the catastrophic flash flooding along the Guadalupe River in Texas has risen to 70, including 15 children — many of whom were attending a Christian summer camp in Kerr County — officials announced late Saturday, as reported by NBC News.

The devastation follows unprecedented rainfall that caused the river to swell 26 feet in just 45 minutes, washing away homes, vehicles, and camp cabins in its path, the New York Post reported. Among the dead are five young girls from Camp Mystic, a nearly century-old girls’ retreat in the Hill Country. (RELATED: Deadly Texas Flood Kills 27 As Dozens Of Girls Go Missing From Christian Summer Camp, Police Say)

Authorities have confirmed that Renee Smajstrla, 8; Sarah Marsh, 8; Janie Hunt, 9; Lila Bonner, 9; and Eloise Peck, 8, perished in the flood after being swept away early Friday morning while sleeping in their cabins, according to the New York Post.

Lila’s family said they are enduring “unimaginable grief,” NBC News reported. Her best friend and cabinmate, Eloise, also died. “Eloise was literally friends with everyone,” her mother told local media. “She loved spaghetti but not more than she loved dogs and animals.”

Texas officials have refused to confirm the identities of the victims or missing campers, citing privacy concerns for the grieving families, the New York Post reported.

Camp Mystic’s director Dick Eastland died while attempting to rescue girls from the surging waters, the camp’s staff confirmed. Nearby Heart O’ The Hills Camp also reported a loss. Director Jane Ragsdale, who was on site despite the camp being closed, was among those killed.

More than 858 people were rescued during the disaster response, including 27 girls from Camp Mystic. At least eight were injured. Evacuated campers described harrowing scenes of destruction, helicopters landing on the campgrounds, and floodwaters reaching the windows of cabins.