Early on Saturday, landslides on the island of Ischia in southern Italy caused buildings to fall and cars to be washed into the water. As many as 12 people are still missing.
The force of the mud sliding down mountain sides was so strong near the port of Casamicciola on the northern end of the island that it threw cars and buses into the water. The island's mayors encouraged people to stay inside since the streets were impassable. According to reports, there were at least 100 stuck passengers.
There was some commotion due to the fatality count. Italy's vice premier, Matteo Salvini, initially asserted that eight deaths had been formally confirmed. No fatalities had been officially confirmed, according to a later statement from the interior ministry.
One body had been discovered on the island, according to the mayor of Naples, who was quoted by the news agency ANSA. In the Bay of Naples is Ischia.Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, speaking to state television from an emergency command centre in Rome, said, "The situation is very complicated and very serious because probably some of those people are under the mud."
According to ANSA, at least ten buildings have collapsed. According to the Naples prefect, one family with a newborn that had been previously reported missing had been found and was receiving medical attention.
Video from the island showed miniature bulldozers removing mud from the roads while locals tried to clean their homes with hoses.
The Coast Guard and firefighters were assisting in rescue operations. Teams of sniffer dog teams joined the reinforcements who arrived by ferry to aid with the search operations.
The crowded mountainous island is a well-liked vacation spot because of its beaches and spas. Two people perished in a 4.0-magnitude earthquake that struck the island in 2017 and seriously damaged the towns of Casamicciola and neighbouring Lacco Ameno.
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