Italian rescuers continue to search for a dozen missing people on the southern island of Ischia on Sunday after a landslide killed at least one. The government in Rome has declared a state of emergency.
Following torrential rain, a wave of mud and debris swept through the small town of Casamicciola Terme early Saturday morning, engulfing at least one house and sweeping vehicles down to the sea, local media and emergency services said.
Rescuers recovered the body of a 31-year-old woman, according to Italian news agency AGI, with local media reporting that 13 people had been injured in the incident.
A dozen people were still unaccounted for on Saturday evening, according to Claudio Palomba, prefect of the mainland city of Naples, of which the island is a district.
Government sends emergency aid
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni tweeted her sympathy to those affected by the disaster. Meloni chaired an extraordinary cabinet meeting on Sunday morning, at which the decision was taken to declare a state of emergency and immediately release two million euros in disaster funds.
"We are afraid that there might be other victims, but so far the figure is one dead," Luca Cari, a spokesman for the fire service said.
The rescue effort was hampered by rain and high winds, which also delayed ferries bringing rescue service 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.
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.
Torrents of mud and debris
Heavy rain sent torrents of mud through the streets of Casamicciola Terme, a settlement on the north of Ischia, a lush island near Capri.
Trees were uprooted and cars left battered on the side of the road or in the water.
The fire service said one house had been overwhelmed by the mud and two people had been rescued from a car that was swept into the sea.
Officials 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 it stressed teams would keep working through the night.
Local authorities called on residents of Ischia to stay inside to avoid hindering the rescue operation.
The devastation in Ischia comes just weeks after 11 people died in heavy rain and flooding in the central Italian region of Marche.
