CHICAGO: Rescuers searched miles of rivers and shoreline Saturday for survivors of a flash flood that tore through campsites in a remote forest in the southern US state of Arkansas, killing at least 18 people including six young children. Survivors described a torrent of water that arrived without warning, sweeping through the Ouachita National Forest and catching campers and families vacationing in hillside cabins completely unaware in the dead of night. On Saturday rescue teams recovered two bodies, raising the death toll to 18, spokesman Matt DeCample of the Arkansas governor's office told media. Six of the 15 victims who were identified were children between the ages of two and seven. Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe said the disaster was made "all the more tragic" with the death of the six children. Officials were still hopeful that survivors could be found, but it had been unclear exactly how many people were missing because the Albert Pike campground, which bore the brunt of the massive surge of water, and other sites had sign-in registration records that were simply swept away by floodwaters. Emergency authorities said they believe there were around 300 people at the sites at the time of the disaster, but it was also unclear how many people had escaped the area.