Flash flood in Utah kills 8, several missing

At least eight people have been killed and five others missing in the US state of Utah when flash floods triggered by heavy rain swept them away in their cars.

At least 16 people in two different vehicles were believed to have been caught in the floods that swept through streets near the city of Hildale, Utah, according to Hildale assistant fire chief Kevin Barlow.

The vehicles were carrying women and children who were coming back from a park in the area when the flash flood hit, Barlow said.

The flood “obviously caught these people off guard,” he told The Associated Press. “Most of the people were thrown from the vehicles.”

Three people survived as the flash flooding washed the vehicles several hundred meters downstream.

The flooding ravaged a community that stretches the border from Hildale, Utah, to Colorado City, Arizona.

Eight people were confirmed dead and five others were still missing as rescue crews work to find trapped people and clear the streets from mud and debris.

The floods came after heavy rains fell in the canyons around the city, sending waves of water rushing through the streets.

The flooding also caused other problems. Several blocks of homes are without power and water due to the flooding.

“We’re pretty used to flash flooding, but this is significantly more than what we’re used to,” Barlow said.