US: Five killed in flash floods in eastern Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania [US]: Flash floods claimed the lives of five people in eastern Pennsylvania, The Hill reported citing officials.

As of Sunday afternoon, two young children from the same family, a 2-year-old girl and a 9-month-old boy, were still unaccounted for. Citing the Upper Makefield Township Police Department, The Hill reported that the family from Charleston, S.C., came to visit family and friends in the area when they became prey to a flash flood.

While the mother is among those confirmed dead, the father, 4-year old son, and grandmother all made it out alive.

“This has been unbelievably devastating to all the families involved, all of our first responders, and to our community as a whole,” the police department said, according to The Hill.  “We are all in grieving over the loss of life we have seen.”

“However, our commitment to finding the two children who are still missing is unwavering as we will do all that we can to bring them home to their loved ones,” the police department added.

Tim Brewer, the chief of the Upper Makefield Fire Company, stated at a press conference on Sunday morning that three of the eleven cars that were on the road at the time of the flash flood were swept away.

He added that two more people were pulled from a nearby creek along with the eight people who were pulled from their cars during the rescue operation.