Italy: two families killed in a villa in Sicily during the flood of a river on a southern island


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Nine people from two families were killed on the Italian island of Sicily after the immersion of their rented villa when a river broke on its banks.

Giuseppe Giordano lost his wife, two of his children, his parents and his brother, hours after the family reunion this weekend at the Casteldaccia property.

He survived with his daughter because they were racing when the water and mud of the Milicia River invaded the house, reported the Italian ANSA news agency.

Another child was outside the house and was hanging on a tree while the water was rising.

"There was a river of water, I was knocked over and grabbed a tree," Giordano told reporters. "I was screaming, help, help."

His 15-year-old son died trying to save his three-year-old daughter, he added. His one-year-old son was also among the victims, he said.

"I saw the windows darken, the light went out, a layer of mud was moving on the ground," said Giordano when he had moved away from the house under the effect of the force of the water.

The other three family members who died at home have not yet been named.

The Mayor of Casteldaccia, Giovanni Di Giacinto, told Sky TG24 that the floodwaters had reached two meters high inside the house.

Prosecutors opened an investigation to determine if the house had been built in a flood-prone area.

Pino Virga, mayor of the nearby town of Altavilla Milicia, told the SkyTG24 news channel that it could be a case of negligence if the insufficient drainage of the river had played a role in the deaths.

A total of 17 people were killed by the storms.

Three people died when their cars were washed away. A 44-year-old politician also died after his car was hit by the waters of the San Leonardo River.

Le Premier ministre italien, Giuseppe Conte, a déclaré qu'un couple allemand avait été emporté par les eaux de crue près d'Agrigente, une ville touristique réputée pour ses temples grecs antiques.

Le corps d'un homme a également été retrouvé sur une glissière de sécurité le long d'une route de la région de Palerme après que des eaux aient été emportées par sa voiture.

Ailleurs en Sicile, au moins deux autres personnes ont été portées disparues après que leurs eaux aient été balayées par les eaux, y compris un médecin se rendant à l'hôpital de la ville de Corleone, située sur la colline.

Dans la province du sud d'Agrigente, les pompiers ont sauvé 14 personnes d'un hôtel de la ville de Montevago, menacé par les inondations provenant de la rivière Belice.

Dans un tweet dimanche, le Premier ministre italien Giuseppe Conte a annoncé qu'il se rendait en Sicile et qu'il était également en contact avec des responsables au sujet de la situation dans le nord du pays.

Reportages supplémentaires d'Associated Press

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