Italy mudslide 2022 – Body of girl found in Ischia. Death toll rises

On Sunday, search teams pulled the body from the family home of a young girl as they dug through mud again to find those still missing in the hunt for them. Massive landslide at the Italian resort island Ischia.

Following the Saturday recovery of the body, a 31 year-old woman from the island’s shore, the Naples prefect confirmed the death toll had increased to two.

Another 10 people were still missing from Casamicciola port, where they are believed to be buried under mud or debris.

“Mud and water tend to fill every space,″ the spokesperson for Italian firefighters, Luca Cari, told RAI state TV. “Our teams are looking for hope, even though it’s very difficult,”

He said, “Our greatest hope is that those identified as missing have found shelter with relatives and their friends and have not been advised of their situation.”

He said that the risk of landslides was still present in the highest area of town. This is near the point where heavy rains have caused a large chunk of the mountainside to fall. Search teams had to enter the area by foot.

Small bulldozers were used to clear roads overnight for rescue vehicles, while divers arrived to inspect cars that had been pushed into water.

RAI was told by Giacomo Pascale (the mayor of Lacco Ameno), that “we are continuing the search with broken hearts because among the missing is also minors.”

Pope Francis expressed his concern for Ischia’s people during the Sunday blessing at St. Peter’s Square. He stated, “I am praying about the victims and the people who are in pain as well as for those who have been involved in rescue efforts.”

Claudio Palomba (prefect of Naples) stated that fifteen homes were flooded by the mud. Four people were also missing and four more were injured, and over 160 were displaced.

A torrential downpour caused a massive landslide just before dawn on Saturday. It sent debris and mud rushing through Casamicciola’s port, collapsing buildings, and sending vehicles and people into the sea.

One video was widely circulated and showed a man covered in mud, knee-deep in muddy water, holding onto a shutter.

Officials claim that the island received 126 millimeters (nearly 5 inches) of rain in just six hours. This was the most severe rainfall in 20 years. Experts claim that the disaster was made worse by the building of buildings in high-risk areas on the mountainous island. It is also situated in a seismically active area. Casamicciola and Lacco ameno were both struck by a magnitude 4.0 earthquake in 2017.

“There is not territory that can be occupied. It is impossible to alter the use of a water-rich area. Riccardo Caniparoli, geologist, told RAI that the course of the water caused this disaster. “There were norms and laws that were not followed.”

Vincenzo De Luca (president of the Campagna region in which Ischia is situated) stated that houses located in areas at-risk must be demolished. He said this because it was possible they had been constructed without proper permits.

“People must understand that not everyone can live in certain areas. RAI was told by De Luca that there is no need (to build illegally). “Buildings that are located in fragile zones should not be erected.”

Sunday’s Cabinet meeting saw the Italian government declare a state emergency for the island. They allocated close to $2.1 million (roughly $2.1 million) to the rescue operation and the restoration of public services.

Premier Giorgia Moloni stated in a statement that “The government extends its support to the people, mayors, and towns of Ischia” and thanked the rescue workers for their efforts in finding the victims.