A woman died, while about ten people were still alive yesterday, Saturday, were missing after a landslide caused by torrential rain on the Italian island of Ischia, off Naples.
In the early hours of yesterday morning, the landslide in the small town of Casamiciola, in the north of the island, submerged at least one house in mud, while cars were swept out to sea by a wave of mud, according to Italian media and rescue services.
Some people initially reported missing were subsequently found unharmed. Among them is a family with a newborn baby, Palomba explained. However, according to him, about ten people were still missing yesterday afternoon.
We fear there will be more victims, but so far the number (of victims) stands at one (dead), Luca Curry, a spokesman for the fire service, told AFP.
Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piandesi had earlier said several people were trapped in the mud, citing a very serious situation.
But he had denied reports from his colleague, Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini, who had earlier spoken of an eight death toll, noting that no deaths had been confirmed at that time, although the situation was still fluid.
From yesterday's landslide, rivers of mud flooded roads, overturned trees and dragged cars on them, in some cases all the way to the sea, according to images released by emergency services and broadcast by local media.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she was monitoring the progress of rescue operations and called an extraordinary cabinet meeting to be held today to discuss the crisis, noting that her thoughts were with the people affected by the disaster.
This comes just weeks after 11 people died in floods caused by torrential rains in central eastern Italy.
Source: CNA
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