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LANDSLIDE

One dead, others still missing in landslide on Italian island

One woman died and other people were still missing Saturday after heavy rains caused a landslide on the Italian island of Ischia, a local official said.

One dead, others still missing in landslide on Italian island
A muddy street following heavy rains that caused a landslide in Casamicciola on Ischia on November 26th, 2022: Photo: Eliano IMPERATO/AFP

A wave of mud and debris swept through the small town of Casamicciola Terme in the early hours of the morning, engulfing at least one house and sweeping cars down to the sea, media reports and emergency services said.

The first victim was confirmed to be a woman whose body was found by rescuers, according to a media briefing by the prefect of Naples, Claudio Palomba. He said some of those reported missing earlier were later found safe, including one family with a newborn baby, but around 10 other people were still unaccounted for mid-afternoon.

The rescue effort was hampered by continued rain and high winds, which also delayed ferries bringing reinforcements from the mainland.

Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi had earlier warned there were people trapped in the mud, saying it was a “very serious” situation. However, he denied a statement by his colleague Matteo Salvini, the deputy prime minister and infrastructure minister, that eight people had died, saying this had not been confirmed.

Complex rescue operation

The heavy rain sent torrents of mud through the streets of Casamicciola Terme, on the north of Ischia, a lush island located near Capri that is thronged with tourists in the summer months.

Trees were upturned and cars left battered on the side of the road or in the water, according to images published by emergency services and local media.

The fire service earlier said one house had been overwhelmed by the mud and that two people had been rescued from a car swept into the sea.

In the worst affected area of Casamicciola Terme, at least 30 families were trapped in their homes without water or electricity, with mud and debris blocking the road, the ANSA news agency reported.

Officials later said they expected to evacuate and find temporary homes for between 150 and 200 people by Saturday evening.

“The rescue effort remains complex due to the weather conditions,” said the department for civil protection, but stressed teams would keep working through the night using headlights. 

Local authorities have called on residents of Ischia to stay inside so as not to hinder the rescue operation.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she was following the situation, offering her thoughts to those affected.

Casamicciola Terme was hit by an earthquake in 2017, in which two people died.

The devastation in Ischia came just weeks after 11 people died in heavy rain and flooding in central eastern Italy.

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WEATHER

Five missing as ‘tsunami of mud’ floods Italian town

Five people are reported missing in Bardonecchia, in the north-western region of Piedmont, where a sudden flood caused by a landslide submerged the town in mud.

Five missing as 'tsunami of mud' floods Italian town

The search for the five missing people resumed at 7am Monday in Bardonecchia, in the Val di Susa region, a few kilometres from the French border.

Around 50 of the fire brigade, including divers, are searching the section of the river that flooded on Sunday evening, the Vigili del Fuoco confirmed.

Authorities posted that they were continuing to look for missing people and to remove debris from the roads.

Rescue teams had already saved six people, who were stuck in a camper van, dragged downstream by the flow of water, mud and rubbish, rescue teams stated on Monday morning.

The Rio Merdovine broke its banks Sunday evening following a landslide at altitude, completely covering cars and submerging streets in wreckage, according to Italian media reports and video footage from social media.

In videos posted online, some people can be seen fleeing while a wave of mud gushes in behind them, pushing over buildings and trees. One person has been injured.

“Run away, go away,” some residents said to those who were in the area, reported the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero.

In other videos and photos, the flood of the Frejus basin is seen dragging away cars in what’s been described as a ‘tsunami of mud’ in Italian media reports.

The mudslide overwhelmed everything in its path, sweeping away traffic signs, cars and even bus shelters.

About 120 people spent the night as evacuees, unable to return to their homes sunk in mud.

The Red Cross set up temporary accommodation for those affected inside the town’s sports hall.

Meanwhile, the local police station was found to be unfit for use and with serious damage to the ground floor.

READ ALSO: Scientists urge Italy’s media to improve climate change reporting

Many bridges are still not passable, while access to the built-up area of Bardonecchia remains impossible, except for rescue vehicles.

One of the town’s bridges was swept away by the sudden flood, now buried in mud and detritus, while another has lost its supporting foundations.

The landslide in Val di Susa has also  “temporarily closed” State Road 335 in both directions in Bardonecchia, Italian road maintenance firm Anas stated.

“Anas teams and the police have intervened on-site to manage the road system, to allow normal traffic to be restored as quickly as possible,” it added.

The town’s authorities reported on Facebook the possibility of water, electricity and gas supply disruptions in the town “following the flooding of the Frejus river”.

“Rescue teams and technicians have been working since yesterday evening to try to restore normal conditions as soon as possible. The gas supply has been interrupted to avoid potentially dangerous explosions, pending the identification and resolution of the damage to the pipelines,” they added.

The disaster follows a summer of extreme weather events in Italy, with seven killed in storms in the north of Italy last month.

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