Published: Less than 20 min ago
1 of 3 Photo: Salvatore Laporta/AP/TT
One person has died and eleven people – including two families with children – are missing after Saturday’s landslide on the island of Ischia outside Naples.
Severe weather complicates the ongoing rescue operation.
Intensive rescue work is underway on the island of Ischia after the landslide that hit the seaside resort of Casamicciola Terme early Saturday morning, reports the Italian news agency Ansa.
According to Italian emergency services, a 31-year-old woman has died in the landslide, while four people are said to be injured.
Eleven people are still missing – including two families with children, and 167 people have had their homes destroyed by the landslide, the news agency said.
Great devastation
Pictures from the scene show an enormous devastation, where cars are either buried in the masses of mud that have dragged across the city’s streets or swept out to sea.
15 buildings in the city have so far collapsed as a result of the landslide and according to Naples prefect Claudio Palomba, an intensive rescue operation will continue on Sunday.
“We will continue to search the area until we have full clarity on the situation,” he told La Repubblica.
Difficult weather conditions
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has called the country’s government to a meeting on Sunday to declare a national emergency for Ischia.
Reinforcements for the rescue service have been sent from Naples, but strong winds and rain make it difficult to reach the island both by water and by helicopter.
The landslide on Ischia was triggered after heavy rainfall – and during Sunday large amounts of rain continued to fall in the region of Campania, where the island is located.