Deadly Floods Ravage Northern Italy, Triggering Evacuations (+Video)
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – At least five people have died and thousands have been evacuated from northern Italy and Croatia as torrential rain causes devastating floods.
Desperate families, including children and the elderly, take refuge on rooftops in the hardest-hit region of Emilia-Romagna, awaiting helicopter rescues.
In Bosnia and Croatia, homes are swiftly submerged, prompting the mayor of Bosanska Krupa to declare an "apocalypse" with unprecedented levels of flooding. Four people have died, and 5,000 residents have been evacuated from 24 towns in Emilia-Romagna. A 70-year-old man loses his life in a flooded home outside Cesena, while another fatality occurs in Forli as the Montone river overflows. The floods are described as the worst the town has ever experienced.
Rescuers are searching for four missing individuals trapped in their homes as rivers continue to swell from days of heavy rainfall. The mayor of Cesena warns that further downpours could cause a second day of flooding in the region's rivers and advises residents to move to higher floors.
In other parts of Italy, families stranded on rooftops are brought to safety, including a couple and their two young daughters. Authorities advise the nearly 100,000 residents of Cesena to stay away from the floodwaters and avoid ground floors near the river. Approximately 900 individuals in flooded areas have been evacuated to gyms or schools.
In Ravenna, residents are urged to move to upper floors of buildings, while in Riccione, the mayor warns people to stay at home. Firefighters respond to multiple incidents, including fallen trees, mudslides, and trapped motorists between Ancona, Pesaro, and Urbino.
Meteorologists predict several more days of heavy rain, exacerbating the ongoing crisis. Train travel on Bologna-Ancona and Ravenna-Faenza routes has been halted. In the Balkans, the Una river bursts its banks, causing widespread flooding in northern Croatia and northwestern Bosnia, leading to a state of emergency declaration.
In response to the floods, hundreds of soldiers and rescue teams deliver food and supplies to isolated residents in Croatia. Meanwhile, authorities in Venice prepare to activate the Moses mobile barrier system to protect the city from high-tide flooding. The barrier system, which resembles the biblical account of the Red Sea parting, will be deployed for the first time in May after nearly 20 years of construction.
The floods come after a prolonged drought period in Italy, which had been facing a second year of water shortage. The Po River, crucial for agriculture in the Po River Valley, has been depleted. Southern Italy also experiences damage from flooding, with rescue operations and improved weather conditions underway in Sicily.
The devastating floods in northern Italy and Croatia continue to wreak havoc, with loss of life, evacuations, and widespread destruction. Efforts to rescue stranded individuals and mitigate further damage remain ongoing amidst the persistent heavy rainfall.
