Helicopter crashed – one injured
A helicopter crashed during rescue work in the province of Ravenna. Four people were in the aircraft – one of them was injured, the other three were unharmed, as the Italian fire brigade announced on Saturday. The crash in the municipality of Lugo happened when the helicopter crew was in action to inspect power lines damaged by storms, according to the Ansa and beraking latest news news agencies. The people were taken to nearby hospitals in a rescue helicopter.
The flooding and the many landslides continue to cause problems in the affected areas. In some areas, the water is slowly receding – hundreds of rescue workers and volunteers are now on duty to clear the streets of the mud. Since the beginning of the violent storm, the Italian fire brigade has been deployed to more than 3,000 missions involving around 1,000 firefighters, it said on Saturday morning. Most of the missions were therefore in the areas around Bologna, Ravenna and Forlì-Cesena.
The concern is now again great before the new rain, which is expected at the weekend. The situation escalated again on Friday, especially in the provinces around the city of Ravenna. Rivers burst their banks again. Above all, landslides, which are now afflicting the areas, are currently proving to be a great danger. Several communities also struggled with food and drinking water supply problems.
Italy’s government under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is planning a cabinet meeting on Tuesday to decide on aid measures for the affected areas. From Japan, where Meloni is taking part in the G7 summit, she assured her “full solidarity”.