RESCUERS scoured a devastated central Texas landscape of mangled trees, overturned cars and muck-filled debris today in an increasingly bleak mission to locate survivors from a flood that killed at least 51 people.

Among those still missing are 27 girls who have not been seen since their camp was slammed with a wall of water.

The flooding in Kerr County killed at least 43 people, including 15 children, and at least eight people died in nearby counties.

Authorities still have not said how many people were missing beyond the children from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along a river in Kerr County where most of the dead were recovered.

The destructive, fast-moving waters rose 26 feet on the Guadalupe River in just 45 minutes before daybreak on Friday, washing away homes and vehicles. 

Governor Greg Abbott vowed that authorities will work around the clock and said new areas were being searched as the water receded. 

“I urge every Texan to join me in prayer this Sunday for the lives lost, for those still missing, for the recovery of our communities, and for the safety of those on the front lines,” he said in a statement.

Authorities were coming under scrutiny over whether the camps and residents in places long vulnerable to flooding received proper warning and whether enough preparations were made.