In Photos | 9 dead, thousands evacuated in Italy floods, F1 race cancelled
Nine people have died and thousands of others have been evacuated after heavy rain battered Italy's northern Emilia-Romagna region, triggering floods and landslides. On Wednesday (May 17), Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci said that some areas received half their average rainfall in just 36 hours, the news agency Reuters reported. And authorities said that flooding hit 37 towns and communities and around 120 landslides had been registered.
Sunday's Formula One Grand Prix in Imola, which is close to many of the worst-affected areas, was called off.
The government, meanwhile, announced that tax and mortgage payments would be suspended for flood-affected regions during the emergency.
In affected areas, residents struggle to remove mud and debris
Residents in the affected areas in Emilia Romagna region are struggling to get rid of mud and debris as waters are flowing over roofs of parked cars, submerging some stores and forcing locals to flee to the top stories of their homes.
(Photograph:Reuters)
Catastrophic events probably never seen before: Emilia-Romagna region president
Stefano Bonaccini, the president of the Emilia-Romagna region, told reporters on Wednesday that the region is facing catastrophic events that have probably not been seen before.
"Extraordinary amounts of rain have fallen on land no longer capable of absorbing them," Bonaccini added.
(Photograph:Reuters)