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Italy rescuers search for a dozen missing after deadly landslide | Floods News

The complicated rescue effort was hampered by heavy rain and winds, which also delayed ferries carrying reinforcements from the mainland.

Italian rescuers are searching for dozens of people missing on the southern island of Ischia after a massive landslide left at least one person dead.

A wave of mud and debris swept through the small town of Casamicciola Terme early Saturday morning, engulfing at least one house and washing away many cars into the sea.

Rescuers found the body of a 31-year-old woman, according to Italian news agency AGI, while other local media reported 13 people were injured in the incident.

About a dozen people were still missing early Sunday, according to local official Claudio Palomba. However, several people previously reported missing have been found safe, including a family with an infant, he said.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni tweeted sympathy for those affected, saying she had convened an extraordinary cabinet meeting on Sunday to discuss the disaster.

“We fear there may be other victims, but so far the current toll is one dead,” said Luca Cari, a spokesman for the fire service.

Rescue efforts were hampered by rain and high winds, delaying ferries carrying reinforcements from the mainland.

Complex rescue operation

Heavy rains cause muddy streams to flow through the streets of Casamicciola Terme, a settlement north of Ischia, a lush island near Capri that is crowded with tourists in the summer.

Firefighters earlier said a house had been flooded with mud and two people had been rescued from a car that had been swept into the sea.

In the worst-affected part of town, at least 30 families were trapped in homes with no water or electricity, with mud and debris blocking the roads, the ANSA news agency reported.

Officials said they expected to evacuate and find temporary housing for about 150 to 200 people.

“Rescue efforts are still complicated by weather conditions,” civil protection said, but it stressed crews would continue to work through the night.

Local authorities urged Ischia residents to stay indoors to avoid obstructing rescuers.

The devastation in Ischia comes just weeks after 11 people died in heavy rain and flooding in the Marche region, central Italy.



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