In the northern parts of Italy, feverish rescue work is underway – after the worst floods in over a hundred years.
Dramatic footage from the city of Faenza shows an elderly couple being rescued from the roof of their home by helicopter.
So far, 14 people have died in the bodies of water in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna.
– The situation continues to be serious, especially in Ravenna where several blocks have been evacuated during the day, says Filip Jacobsson, TV4 Nyheternas reporter on the spot.
– There is still an enormous amount of water here and you are waiting for this to flow away. At the same time, there are reports that there may be more rain this weekend, therefore there is concern that the situation may worsen further, he continues.
The atmosphere in the city of Faenza is described as “almost apocalyptic” after the two rivers Marano and Lamone overflowed. During Thursday evening, the authorities also urged residents to get as high up in their houses as possible – even to the roofs.
Pictures from the city show rescue workers being lowered onto a roof from a helicopter to rescue an elderly couple from the flood.
Thousands evacuated
Among the 14 fatalities reported so far in the flood disaster is a married couple who were found in their apartment in the town of Russi near Ravenna. A 70-year-old man has been found dead outside his house in Cesenatico, while his wife was swept away by the waters and was only found two miles away on a beach.
Over 20 rivers in Emilia-Romagna have flooded following the massive rains and 20,000 people have so far been evacuated in the affected area.
In 36 hours, in some places in the region, twice as much rain fell as compared to what usually falls in the whole of May. As a result of the floods, the region has also been hit by nearly 280 landslides.
As a result of the serious situation, the authorities in several areas have ordered the residents to leave their homes and go to the collection points that have been set up.