Rescue teams in Texas are searching for a 10-year-old girl who was swept away by rapidly rising floodwaters.
Teams of people have been scouring the city of Brenham, 70 miles north-west of Houston, for the child as more thunderstorms are forecast for the region.
Police officials say the girl was washed away by a sudden flood of water after crossing a bridge near Fireman’s Park on Monday at around 4pm.
Several people nearby attempted to rescue her, with one person reportedly leaping into the water and managing to latch onto the child, before losing her in the powerful current, according to ABC.
A Brenham police officer also attempted to rescue her but was swept away before being rescued downstream.
Land-based search teams using drones equipped with thermal imaging and specially trained dogs continued to scale the creek banks for the missing girl on Monday night, said Brenham Fire Department.
“Please continue to keep this precious child, her family, and all the dedicated first responders in your thoughts and prayers. We will share updates as soon as we are able,” the fire department said in a statement.
Burleson Street and Martin Luther King Jr Parkway, roughly half a mile from where the incident began, remained closed Monday night, according to KBTX.
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The young girl has not been named by officials.
Rescue efforts were expected to resume on Tuesday morning - but there is concern over another bout of heavy storms expected to bring up to 6 inches of rain Tuesday to parts of south-eastern Texas, according to the National Weather Service in Houston.
A series of strong rip currents and flooding along Gulf-facing beaches, especially during high tides, is also anticipated.
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The dangerous weather is expected to continue into Wednesday. It comes after storms impacted much of southern Oklahoma and northern Texas last week.
Local boat owners offered their support on social media, saying they could provide law enforcement with additional boat support if needed.
Brenham Mayor Atwood Kenjura offered prayers to the 10-year-old’s family, stating, ”The response has been phenomenal, but it’s such swift water. It’s just going to be difficult now with the light conditions going away. Hearts go out to them. This is something that shouldn’t happen.”
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