State police say 16 people are confirmed dead after flash floods in southwestern Arkansas

Police: 16 people died in Arkansas floods

CADDO GAP, Ark. — State police say 16 people are confirmed dead after flash floods hit a pair of remote valleys in southwestern Arkansas.

Arkansas State Police spokesman Bill Sadler says the bodies are being moved to funeral homes in Mena. He says he has no information on the ages or identities of the dead.

Sadler says local law enforcement, state police and national guard are still searching the area, but that he does not know how many people are still missing after the flood hit the area along the Caddo and Little Missouri rivers early Friday.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

CADDO GAP, Ark. (AP) — Flash floods have killed 12 people in a pair of remote Arkansas valleys and emergency workers say family members are reporting that more than three dozen people are unaccounted for.

Rescue efforts are under way along the Caddo and Little Missouri rivers in southwestern Arkansas after heavy rains triggered flash floods early Friday. State police said a dozen people were killed.

For a time, water rose eight feet an hour after more than a half-foot of rain. Floodwaters inundated campgrounds, catching many while they were asleep. A temporary morgue is being set up in a refrigerated truck.