- The family crossed a bridge in Houston and were hit by flood water currents
- Their van was swept away; the driver, the children’s great uncle climbed out
- But the kids – aged 6-26 – and their great-grandparents, aged 81 and 83, sank
- There was no time for emergency services in the area to respond, witnesses said
Six members of a family have drowned in Houston after their van was swept away by currents in the Hurricane Harvey floodwaters in the deadliest single incident since the storm began.
Four children – all of whom were under 16 – and their great-grandparents died after their van after it crossed a bridge and hit high floodwater on Green River Drive.
The driver – the children’s great-uncle – was able to escape, but the rest of the family were not so lucky, KHOU 11 reported.
A family of six, including kids aged 6-16, died when their van was swept away on a flooded Houston street on Monday (pictured: an aerial shot of another part of Houston)
The survivor managed to grab onto a branch and told the children to climb out of the back door of the van, but they were unable to do so.
The van then sunk, drowning two girls, aged 16 and six, and two boys, aged 14 and eight, as well as their 81-year-old great-grandmother and her 83-year-old husband.
Witnesses to the horrible incident said that although there were emergency crews in the area, it happened too fast for them to respond.
The bodies have not yet been recovered. Three family members confirmed the incident, but authorities have yet to release an official statement.
Several family members have yet to be informed of the deaths.