2023-05-04 09:45:14
In the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, after heavy rains, there were sometimes dramatic floods. The areas around the cities of Bologna and Ravenna are particularly affected. At least two people died, as reported by the media.
An elderly man was swept away by the masses of water on his bike as he rode on a road that was actually already closed. Another person died under the rubble of a house near Imola when it was hit by a landslide and collapsed. Rescuers searched the ruins for a second missing person.
Hundreds of people have to leave their homes
Regional President Stefano Bonaccini wanted to ask Rome to declare a state of emergency, as he announced. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni tweeted that she was following developments in northern Italy, which had recently been hit by severe drought and dryness.
But then storms hit over the weekend, and in parts of Emilia-Romagna there was as much rain in one day as it normally does in a month. Several rivers burst their banks and flooded entire towns. Pictures and videos showed how parked cars sank up to the roof in the water masses.
The fire brigades in the most severely affected areas around the capital Bologna and the coastal city of Ravenna were in constant use, around 400 calls were counted by Wednesday morning alone. Hundreds of people had to leave their homes for safety reasons – thousands more were threatened with evacuation for safety reasons. Soldiers from the Italian army were also deployed. Help has been requested from other parts of the country.
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#Deaths #storms #floods #Italy