At least 8 people were confirmed dead and several were still missing on Monday, two days after heavy rains lashed the Italian island of Ischia, triggering a landslide and causing floods that destroyed residential buildings.

The number of victims was confirmed by Naples Prefect Claudio Palomba at a press conference after an emergency meeting of the Civil Protection Department, which is coordinating rescue efforts on the island.

Rescue work was still ongoing on Monday involving some 240 staff deployed by the Interior Ministry and over 150 firefighters using drones and rescue dogs.

The most affected area was the port of Casamicciola Terme -- one of the municipalities of Ischia -- where at least 30 houses were destroyed, according to the prefect.

Overall, some 230 people have been evacuated so far, the prefect told state broadcaster RAI 2.

On Sunday, Italy's government declared a state of emergency on Ischia and agreed a first emergency package of two million euros (2.07 million U.S. dollars).

On the same day, the Campania region -- to which Ischia belongs -- allocated a further four million euros (4.14 million U.S. dollars) to help the locals meet their "most immediate needs," Campania Governor Vincenzo De Luca said in a statement.

Ischia, a popular tourist destination, is a volcanic island lying in the Tyrrhenian Sea some 30 km from Naples.

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)