Massive Landslide in Ischia Italy Leaves 1 Dead, 12 Missing

Heavy rain triggered a massive landslide on the southern resort island of Ischia, Italy, early Saturday, destroying buildings and sweeping cars into the sea, killing at least 1 person and 12 people missing.

Claudio Palomba, the prefect of Naples, announced at a press conference that a woman’s body had been recovered from the mud.

As the rain continued to fall, rescuers worked carefully with small bulldozers to pick through six to seven meters (yards) of mud and debris in search of possible victims. Reinforcements arrived by ferry, including sniffer dog teams to aid in the search.

The force of the mud sliding down the mountainside just before dawn was strong enough to send cars and buses onto beaches and into the sea at the port of Casamicciola, located on the north end of the island is located off the coast of Naples.

According to officials in Italy, the island received 126 millimetres (nearly five inches) of rain in six hours, the heaviest rainfall in 20 years.

The streets were impassable, and mayors across the island urged residents to stay home. At least 100 people were reported stranded without power or water, with approximately 70 housed in a community gymnasium.

The death toll was initially unclear. Vice Premier Matteo Salvini initially stated that eight people had been confirmed dead, but the interior minister later stated that no deaths had been confirmed and that 10 to 12 people were missing.

“The situation is very complicated and very serious because some of those people are probably under the mud,” Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said from an emergency command centre in Rome to RAI state television.

According to ANSA, at least ten buildings collapsed. According to the Naples prefect, one missing family with a newborn has been found and is receiving medical care.

Small bulldozers were seen clearing roads on the island, while residents used hoses to get the mud out of their homes. One man, Benjamin Iacono, told Sky TG24 that mud engulfed three adjacent shops he owns, destroying his inventory. He estimated the damage to be between 100,000 and 150,000 euros ($104,000 to $156,000).

Firefighters and the Coast Guard were conducting search and rescue operations, hampered by strong winds that prevented helicopters and boats from reaching the island.

Because of its beaches and spas, the densely populated mountainous island is a popular tourist destination. In 2017, a 4.0-magnitude earthquake struck the island, killing two people and causing significant damage to the towns of Casamicciola and neighbouring Lacco Ameno.

The Associated Press