Landslide kills 1, leaving up to a dozen missing on Italy’s holiday island of Ischia

Milan – Heavy rains triggered a massive landslide on the southern Italian resort island of Ischia early Saturday, destroying buildings and sweeping parked cars into the sea, leaving at least one person dead and up to 12 missing. A woman’s body was pulled out of the mud, Naples Prefect Claudio Palomba said at a news conference.

As it continued to rain, rescuers worked cautiously with small bulldozers, digging seven meters through mud and debris in some places in search of possible victims. Reinforcements arrived by ferry, including teams of sniffer dogs to aid in the search effort.

The force of the mud sliding down the mountainside just before sunrise was strong enough to send cars and buses onto the beaches and sea at the port of Casamicciola on the north end of the island off Naples.

The island received nearly five inches of rain in six hours, the heaviest rains in 20 years, officials said.

Roads were impassable and mayors on the island urged people to stay home. At least 100 people were reportedly stranded without electricity or water, and about 70 were housed in a community gymnasium.

There was early confusion about the death toll. Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini first said eight people had been confirmed dead, followed by the Interior Minister, who said no deaths had yet been confirmed, while 10 to 12 were missing.

“The situation is very complicated and very serious because probably some of these people are in the mud,” Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi told state television RAI from an emergency command center in Rome.

The Italian news agency ANSA reported that at least ten buildings had collapsed. A family with a newborn who had previously been reported missing has been located and given medical attention, according to the Naples prefect.

Videos from the island showed small bulldozers clearing streets while residents tried to use hoses to remove mud from their homes. A man, identified as Benjamin Iacono, told Sky TG24 that three neighboring stores he owns were overwhelmed by mud and his inventory was completely wiped out. He estimated the damage at between €100,000 and €150,000 (US$104,000 to US$156,000).

Firefighters and the Coast Guard conducted search and rescue operations, initially hampered by high winds preventing helicopters and boats from reaching the island.

The densely populated mountainous island is a popular tourist destination for both its beaches and spas. A magnitude 4.0 quake on the island in 2017 killed two people and caused extensive damage in the towns of Casamicciola and neighboring Lacco Ameno.