PanamaTimes

Saturday, Sep 07, 2024

Landslide rips through Italian holiday island Ischia leaving dozens cut off

Heavy rainstorms destroyed at least 10 buildings on the island, which is around 20 miles off the coast of Naples.

Landslides have destroyed buildings and left residents cut off on the Italian holiday island of Ischia, authorities have said.

A woman has been found dead and about 10 people are still missing, Claudio Palomba, the prefect of Naples, told reporters.

A further eight people who had gone missing have been found, including a child, Mr Palomba added.

Italian news agency ANSA also said the body of a woman had been discovered.

Earlier, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said there had been no confirmed deaths - contradicting a previous statement from deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini, who said eight people were confirmed to have died.

Mr Piantedosi said some residents were believed to be under the mud, while about 200 had to be evacuated from buildings at risk of collapse. "Weather conditions are still challenging," he commented.

Heavy rainstorms and flooding caused several landslides in the town of Casamicciola Terme, which is around 20 miles (32 km) off the coast of Naples.

Almost five inches of rain fell in six hours - the heaviest for 20 years, according to officials.



Images from the island showed thick mud and debris, with several cars submerged on the shoreline.

Videos show impassable streets covered in debris.

Italy's fire brigade tweeted that seventy fire fighters were on the island, rescuing residents from damaged buildings and searching for the missing.

Motorboats and helicopters involved in rescue attempts have struggled to access the island because of the bad weather, the brigade said.

Teams of sniffer dogs later arrived by ferry.

Ten buildings have been destroyed, ANSA said.

Resident Lisa Mocciaro told the news agency there had been heavy rain from "around midnight".

"From 3am we started hearing roars. The first landslide came down, then another around five," she said.

Beniamino Iacono's business has been destroyed. "I had three shops, all next to each other, selling household appliances, Christmas items," he said.

"I've lost everything in this tragedy. I don't know what to say, we need help."

He added: "I have lost €100,000 to €150,000. The shops were full of stuff, are now they are full of mud.

"I will have to refurbish everything. I don't know how long it will take."

A video showed a man clinging onto the outside of a window covered in mud from the landslide.

When rescuers discovered him on Saturday morning they told him to keep his feet on the ground before they were able to save him.

Newsletter

Related Articles

PanamaTimes
0:00
0:00
Close
BRAZIL’S SUPREME COURT MINISTER ORDERS EXPLANATION ON X BLOCKING
Porn streamer OnlyFans paid owner $630mn in dividends
Donald Trump will not face sentencing over his 'hush money' conviction before the US presidential election on November 5, after a Manhattan judge granted his request to delay the proceeding
Return of Brazilian Artworks to Bahia
France Pilots Mobile Phone Ban in Schools
WHO-Led Study Finds No Link Between Mobile Phones and Brain Cancer
Kamala Harris is in Detroit and has a new accent again
EU Rejects Maduro’s Election Win Claim in Venezuela
Former Red Brigades Member Arrested in Argentina After 40 Years on Run
Elon Musk Accuses Brazilian Supreme Court Justice of Election Interference
Universe May Have Had a Pre-Big Bang 'Secret Life'
Ecuador's Narco Violence Threatens Scientists and Conservation Efforts
Brazilian Judge Alexandre de Moraes Blocks Elon Musk's X
Nаkеd American woman gropes security
Tsimane Tribe: Secrets to Health and Slow Ageing
OpenAI Blocks Iranian Group's ChatGPT Accounts for Election Interference
WHO Declares Mpox Global Health Emergency Again
Decline in World Records at Paris Olympics: An Analysis
EU Pressures Elon Musk Over Trump Interview
UN Reports Lowest Global Youth Unemployment Rate in 15 Years
Fatal Plane Crash Near Sao Paulo
Snoop Dogg: The Feel-Good Spirit of the Paris Olympics
McDonald's Worker Sets Restaurant On Fire Over Customer Frustration
Kamala Harris Confirmed as Democratic Candidate for US Presidential Election
Controversies at the Paris Olympics
Elon Musk Accepts Fight Challenge from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro
First Case of 'Virgin Birth' in Endangered Shark Species in Italy
G20 Fails to Reach Agreement on Global Billionaire Tax
Mexican Drug Lords El Mayo and El Chapo's Son Arrested in Texas
World's Hottest Day Recorded on July 21
Joe Biden Withdraws from 2024 US Presidential Race
A Week of Turmoil: Key Moments in US Politics
Global IT Outage Sparks Major Concerns
Global IT Outage Unveils Digital Vulnerabilities
Secret Service Criticized for Lack of Sniper Protection During Trump Shooting
Colombian Court Annuls Amazon Tribes’ Carbon Credit Deal
Sunita Williams Safe on ISS, to Address Earth on July 10
Biden Affirms Commitment To Presidential Race
Boeing Pleads Guilty Over 737 MAX Crashes
Beryl Storm Hits Texas, Killing 2 and Causing Major Power Outages
2024 Predicted to Be World's Hottest Year
Macron Faces New Political Challenges Despite Election Relief
Florida Man Arrested Over Attempt to Withdraw One Cent
Anger mounts at Biden’s top team after disastrous debate
Bolivian President Luis Arce Denies 'Self-Coup' Allegations
Steve Bannon Begins 4-Month Prison Sentence
Biden Warns of 'Dangerous Precedent' After Supreme Court Immunity Ruling in Trump Case
Elon Musk Accuses Kamala Harris of Misleading Post on Trump's Abortion Stance
Hunter Biden Sues Fox News Over 'Revenge Porn' Allegations
New York Times Editorial Board Urges Biden to Exit Presidential Race
×