(see related) Storms and heavy
rainfall continued to batter parts of Italy on Thursday as the
authorities counted the human and material cost of Wednesday's
exceptionally bad weather.
The civil protection department in southern Campania, where
two of the five victims died, extended its severe weather
warning across the region until Friday afternoon.
The province of Benevento has been particularly badly
affected by the extreme weather spell, with schools in the
privincial capital closed through Saturday and ongoing
disruptions to rail services along the Foggia-Caserta line after
the Calore river burst its banks.
Telecommunications services in the area have also been
affected after two fibre-optic cables were damaged in a
landslide and blackouts have been reported due to water damage.
Rubbish collection services have also been suspended in the
provincial capital as a result of flooding and 35 families have
found temporary shelter with the local Caritas.
Nunzia De Girolamo of the opposition party Forza Italia,
herself from Benevento, called on the government to declare a
state of emergency in Campania and other southern regions hit by
the bad weather.
Elsewhere, in the southern island region of Sicily two
people were slightly injured when a train derailed near
Caltanissetta.
Further north in the southern Lazio province of Frosinone
authorities were working round the clock to clear damage caused
by flooding and landslides.
Also on Thursday a Ryanair flight from Bergamo to Cagliari
returned to the northern city shortly after takeoff at 8.30
local time after being struck by lightning.
No-one was hurt in the incident and the plane re-departed
for its Sardinia destination three hours later.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
