According to the authorities, the floods and landslides after heavy rains in Italy have now driven more than 36,000 people from their homes. At least 14 people were killed.
According to the authorities on Saturday, the floods and landslides after heavy rains in Italy have now driven more than 36,000 people from their homes. The authorities of the Emilia-Romagna region extended the red alert due to further precipitation until Sunday. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was also expected to visit the most severely affected areas on Sunday.
The head of government announced on Saturday that she was leaving the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, which was due to end on Sunday, earlier than planned. “Honestly, I can’t stay that far from Italy at such a complex moment,” she told reporters. She thanked the 5,000 mobilized helpers and the G7 heads of state and government for their offers of help.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) wrote on Twitter: “In these difficult times, Germany is close to Italy.” In view of the devastating floods, his “deepest sympathy goes out to everyone affected, especially the families of the victims,” declared the Chancellor, who was one of the participants at the G7 summit.
In Emilia-Romagna, located in north-eastern Italy, as much rain fell on Tuesday and Wednesday as usual in half a year. Numerous rivers burst their banks, and the water flooded fields, streets and houses at breakneck speed. At least 14 people were killed as of Saturday.
The floods caused more than 305 landslides and damaged or blocked more than 500 roads in the region. Bologna City Mayor Matteo Lepore said Saturday it would take “months, and in some places maybe years” to repair roads and infrastructure.
The authorities in Ravenna ordered the immediate evacuation of other threatened towns on Saturday. According to the fire brigade, a helicopter used to restore the power supply crashed near the municipality of Lugo. One of the four people on board was injured.