Immersed in the mud, fifty Alpini of the Ana Civil Protection are working tirelessly to help the population hit Thursday night by the disastrous flood in Senigallia and Cantiano, in the north-central Marche.
Departure to help
“We left on Friday, alerted by the National Civil Protection Department,” explains Andrea Da Broi, an engineer from Treviso born in 1970, who has been driving the 14,000 yellow overalls since 2021. Arriving on the spot very quickly, the Alpine troops found themselves facing apocalyptic scenes: mud everywhere, houses devastated, destroyed by the fury of the flood, overturned cars, furniture, debris piled up in bulk.
“We rolled up our sleeves and started working together with the locals who have lost everything,” adds Da Broi, stating that the first day was very difficult as the rain continued to hammer villages and hamlets already on their knees. Fortunately, the weather improved and operations continued more quickly yesterday.
“We are always ready”
After the intervention on the island of Stromboli, also the one invaded by mud, this is another complex action carried out by the Pc Ana which has means and men able to act quickly, with professionalism. “We cannot say that there are many who can guarantee help within a few hours of the call” explains national councilor Ana Daniele Bassetto, from Roncade. Each section has acquired equipment suitable for operating in floods as in earthquakes: excavators, powerful pumping stations, even the drones that monitor the territory. In the Marche region excavators of various sizes, special equipment for cleaning the mud and medium pumps for emptying water from the premises were brought. In addition to the teams in the field from northern Italy, in particular from Verona, Valdagno, Belluno, Treviso with the national coordinator, alpine logistics and a core of the 4th Grouping (center, south and islands) are at work with the tasks of mobile secretariat, to establish relations with local authorities and guarantee support to operators.
The drama
Unfortunately, at this moment, little can be done for the eleven people who died at the time of the flood, just as it will be difficult to find the two missing alive, but there is much to be done to help the survivors, securing the homes where they are can, by emptying the houses and cellars of mud, recovering and cleaning furniture and objects, without forgetting the streets still invaded by what the water has dragged with it.
And while the judiciary investigates the possible culprits of a disaster that perhaps could have been avoided, the Alpine troops are close to the population of 150 displaced persons: “We are here and we will stay there as long as necessary”.