Thousands evacuated as f loods strike Italy
Nine killed as torrential rain wreaks havoc
NINE people died and thousands had to be evacuated from popular holiday regions across northern Italy and Croatia as ‘apocalyptic’ floods tore through dozens of towns.
Desperate families were forced to climb on to their roofs in the hardesthit Italian region of EmiliaRomagna as they waited for rescuers to reach them on helicopters.
The torrential rain and deadly floods have led to the cancellation of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix in Imola. Formula One chiefs said they could not guarantee the safety of fans, drivers and officials.
In the city of Cesena, in EmiliaRomagna, residents were forced to swim in the streets, past sunken cars and floating furniture, to reach higher ground, with the mayor describing the situation as ‘critical’.
One desperate mother was seen clinging to her young daughter while frantically waving for help as the water rose up to her chest outside her home. Two men swam to the pair, with one placing the girl above his head to stop her getting swept away.
In Bosnia and Croatia, residents have watched in horror as their homes were quickly submerged by the floods. ‘We have
an apocalypse,’ said Amin Halitovic, the mayor of the Bosnian town of Bosanska Krupa.
‘We can no longer count the flooded buildings. It’s never been like this.’
A 70-year-old man died in his flooded home near Cesena. His wife was rescued. Another man was found dead in his home in Forli after the Montone river burst its banks. The town’s
mayor said the floods were the ‘worst situation’ the town has ever experienced.
The nearly 100,000 residents of Cesena were told to stay away from the raging waters and avoid ground floors if they lived near the river.
‘Use prudence, don’t be curious, so disaster doesn’t turn into tragedy,’ mayor Enzo Lattuca said on television. In the
north- eastern tourist town of Ravenna, authorities urged residents to move to the upper storeys of buildings. One person died in the town after their car became submerged.
Civil protection minister Nello Musumeci said 5,000 people had been evacuated and 50,000 were without electricity. Meteorologists said Italy can expect several more days of heavy rain.