Thunderstorms caused 12 more
storm deaths in Sicily at the weekend bringing to 32 the Italy
death toll since the extreme weather started battering the
country 10 days ago.
Nine people from two families including two small children
died in a deluge of water and mud when a river broke its banks
at Casteldaccia in Sicily, local sources said.
They were living in a building that had been built illegally,
the sources said.
Another three people were killed across the southern Italian
island at the weekend.
There is an orange weather alert Monday in Veneto, Piedmont,
Emilia Romagna and Lazio.
Premier Giuseppe Conte announced one billion euros in funding
to fix "hydrogeological instability" across the length and
breadth of Italy.
Interior Minister and League leader Matteo Salvini asked for
40 billion.
Meanwhile the centre-left Democratic Party blamed many of the
deaths on amnesties on illegal buildings over the years, some of
them voted for by the League.
Salvini retorted that "salon environmentalism" was to blame,
preventing trees from being cut down and water courses altered
to stave off risk.
On Monday Premier Conte said before leaving for Algiers: "I
will speak with the Algerian prime minister about Sicily, where
I went yesterday after the violent wave of bad weather, which
caused many, too many deaths".
It was also announced that the nine killed at Casteldaccia
will be buried in Palermo Cathedral on Tuesday.
Meanwhile the Regional Administrative Court (TAR) of Palermo
said the villa that housed the victims should have been
demolished.
Economy Undersecretary Massimo Garavaglia said funds to
remedy hydrogeological instability would be included in the 2019
budget bill.
Environment Minister Sergio Costa said "we need a fast norm
to demolish illegal and dangerous buildings."
"A special group will study the problem," he said.
"Illegal building has a very old history in Italy," he said.
Costa also said the government's ministers were working hard
to try to allocate EU funds to tackle the emergency.
Far north in Veneto, over one billion euros of damage has
been done and whole forests have been flattened by high winds.
Veneto Governor Luca Zaia has asked for a state of calamity
to be declared, as has Liguria Governor Giovanni Toti on the
other side of Italy.
The European Commission is in close contact with Italy's
civil defence department over the deadly storms that have hit
Italy killing over 30 people, EC Spokesperson Margaritis Schinas
said Monday.
"Our thoughts go out to our Italian friends after the heavy
rains and flooding, we voice our condolences to the victims'
families," he said after the latest 12 deaths in Sicily.
"We hail the tireless work of the rescue teams, our emergency
response coordination centre is in close and permanent contact
with the Italian civil protection department and is watching
over the situation".
European Aid Commissioner Christos Stylianides will meet
Civil Protection Director-General Agostino Miozzo on Monday to
discuss Italy's storm deaths and damage and "determine the next
steps", Schinas said.
Schinas said the Copernicus satellite system had been
activated at Italy's request to map the areas hit by the storms,
in Sicily and Veneto.
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