Italy declares state of emergency after deadly landslide

CASAMICCIOLA TERME, Italy - At least three people, including a young girl, were killed on the southern Italian holiday island of Ischia after a landslide caused by torrential rain devastated a small town, the office of the prefect of Naples said on Sunday.

Emergency workers stepped up search efforts a day after a landslide caused by torrential rain devastated Casamicciola Terme.

Some 10 people were still missing, according to data provided by the prefect earlier on Sunday.

Dozen of emergency officials have rushed to the flood-stricken island.

On Sunday, rescue divers joined the efforts, searching the waters off the port of Casamicciola, where a wave of mud, debris and stones broke away from the island’s highest mountain on Saturday and crashed down over houses and roads.

Italy’s new right-wing government led by Ms Giorgia Meloni held a Cabinet meeting on Sunday and issued a decree aimed at providing swift help to people in need following the disaster, including 167 people who were evacuated.

A first tranche of €2 million (S$2.9 million) relief funds was released at the end of the emergency Cabinet meeting, said Minister for Civil Protection Nello Musumeci.

More than 200 rescuers are still searching for a dozen missing people, while hundreds of volunteers and others, up to their knees in mud, are busy cleaning the streets of the town.

Rescuers had recovered the body of a 31-year-old woman, according to Italian news agency AGI.

Wreckage of vehicles crushed by the mudslide could be seen and boulders were scattered around as excavators sought to free up access to homes, cars and shops.

“The mountain came down, there was devastation of shops, cars, hotels and that was already happening nine years ago. Now I am cleaning my mother-in-law’s shop,” said Mr Salvatore Lorini, 45.

The landslide was caused by a lack of maintenance and prevention “because nature is nature, there was an earthquake, but a bit of prevention” could have saved lives, said Mr Lorini.

Ischia is a densely populated volcanic island which lies some 30km from Naples. It draws visitors to its thermal baths and picturesque coastline.

Casamicciola Terme, a resort town of 8,000 inhabitants in the northern part of Ischia, was hit by an earthquake in 2017 that killed two people.

Statistics show the hilly island has a large number of houses that were built illegally, putting inhabitants at permanent risk from flooding and earthquakes.

“People must understand that they can’t live in some areas and buildings in risky areas must be torn down,” Campania Governor Vincenzo De Luca told state broadcaster RAI on Sunday. AFP, REUTERS