Flooding on Sicily - 18 dead, 35 missing

The bad weather, which was playing in the northeast of Sicily, led to the death of 18 people. As a result of the gathering of the villages and floods, 79 residents of the island were injured, about 400 were left without shelter.

The fate of another 35 people remains unknown. The search for the victims continues under the ruins of houses. The number of victims may increase, experts say. People left without shelter are located in temporary reception centers equipped in local schools. As the authorities promise, in the near future all those in need will be provided with places in hotels.

The strongest hurricane passed over the northeastern part of the island on Thursday at night. In a short time, more than 230 mm of precipitation fell, which led to landslides and villages immediately. In the most affected zone was Messina and surrounding small settlements. Due to siltation in the disaster area, many roads are blocked, which complicates the work of rescuers and doctors. Some injured areas remain in isolation. The message is interrupted by rail on the segment of Messin-Katyania. The scale of the damage caused is estimated, a state of emergency has been announced in the disaster zone.

As the head of the Civil Protection Department of Guido Bertolazo stated at the scene, the tragedy could be avoided if preventive measures were taken. He clarified that such a large number of victims became the result of illegal construction without compliance with safety standards in a zone subject to floods.

Italian President Georgio Napolitano expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and victims, urging “investing in safety, and not in pharaoh structures” (many observers saw in this phrase a hint of the Berlusconi plan about the construction of the bridge through the Messino Strait).

According to journalists from the scene, after a short break in Messin, rain began again, despite the forecasts of weather forecasters about the imminent improvement in the weather, ITAR-TASS reports.