Italy: At least seven people are dead and three are missing after heavy rains and flooding hit the central Italian region of Marche, Italian media reported on Friday.
Local authorities said they did not expect such a sudden “water bomb”, as around 400mm of rain fell within two to three hours, flooding roads in several towns in the provinces of Ancona and Pesaro-Urbino.
Footage released by fire brigades showed operators navigating the streets of seaside town Senigallia on rafters to rescue people and evacuate them, while others attempted to clear an underpass of debris.
Rescue services were still searching for survivors, authorities were quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, the leader of Italy’s centre-left Democratic Party (PD) wrote on Twitter that it would stop its campaign in the region ahead of the Sept. 25 national election.
