Texas floods kill at least 50, dozens still missing

At least 50 people, including 15 children, have died in catastrophic flash floods sweeping through central Texas, and search teams are racing to locate dozens more still missing.

Authorities said the toll may continue to climb as search and rescue teams work through the weekend to locate survivors.

Among those unaccounted for are 27 young girls from Camp Mystic, a summer camp nestled in the state's scenic Hill Country. Many families anxiously await news as emergency crews from state and local levels continue combing through debris and submerged landscapes.

In Kerr County, where the flash floods ravaged communities with little warning, the Guadalupe River saw its water levels rise from 2.3 meters to a staggering 9 meters within just three hours early Friday morning, reaching the second-highest level on record, according to the U.S. National Weather Service.

Local residents expressed both frustration and complaint over what they said was a lack of adequate flood alerts.

"Disaster, disaster, it was horrible. I've been through a lot, but I've never seen anything like that in my life. It's pretty bad. The whole town is demolished," said Andrea Hertzler, a Kerr County resident.

Travis Buck, another resident, criticized the government's emergency response.

"There could have been better evacuation routes. I understand, when you see it's coming, there's really nothing you can do about it. But you've been getting warnings since 10 or 11 o'clock the night before, (then the government should act)," said Buck.

Emergency authorities are still working to assess the full scale of the disaster. Texas Governor Greg Abbott assured the public in a Saturday news conference that the state is doing everything in its power to locate the missing.

Flood warnings remain in effect across the region as rivers and reservoirs continue to swell.

As the community mourns the lives lost and clings to hope for those still missing, many are calling for a critical review of disaster preparedness and early-warning systems in the flood-prone region.

Texas floods kill at least 50, dozens still missing

Texas floods kill at least 50, dozens still missing

Texas floods kill at least 50, dozens still missing

Texas floods kill at least 50, dozens still missing

President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Lee Jae Myung has expressed his hope that his upcoming visit to China will help eliminate past misunderstandings and issues, underscoring the importance of ties between the two countries.

At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Lee will pay a state visit to China from Jan 4 to 7. It will be Lee's first visit to China since he took office.

In an interview with China Media Group (CMG) in Seoul on Wednesday, Lee acknowledged the existing misunderstandings and issues between the two countries, noting that addressing these issues is a key goal of his visit.

"The current international landscape is turbulent, with escalating issues among various countries. In this context, the relationship between the Republic of Korea and China holds significant importance for us. the ROK and China are deeply interconnected in many areas, including history, economy, geopolitics, politics and security. Northeast Asia's peace, stability, mutual respect, and common prosperity are crucial for both countries," said Lee.

"Admittedly, there have been some misunderstandings and issues between the ROK and China, which have hindered the development of bilateral relations to some extent. Therefore, the purpose of my upcoming visit to China is to minimize or eliminate these past issues, foster a leap in our bilateral relations to a new level, and solidify the ROK and China as partners that mutually support each other's development," he said.

ROK President hopes to reduce misunderstandings with China during upcoming visit