Over 120 evacuated as Italian town buried in mud after floods

ROME - The northern Italian town of Bardonecchia on Monday experienced landslides forcing dozens of families from their homes and causing significant structural damage.

More than 120 people were evacuated, including six who were trapped in a camper van that was swept away by floodwater.

Five people were initially reported missing, but later located. Several people were brought to a nearby hospital, but none were seriously injured.

The deluge that started late Sunday and lasted into Monday was unexpected, after heavy rains forced the normally tranquil Merdovine River to suddenly burst its banks and flood the town.

According to reports, the local police station and the town's main hotel suffered serious damage.

Bardonecchia Mayor Chiara Rossetti said the situation could have been much worse: "Amid our bad luck, we managed to avoid what could have been a tragic situation."

Alberto Cirio, governor of the region of Piedmont where Bardonecchia is located, said the damage caused by the flooding and landslide was "significant," though he did not provide an estimate on the economic impact to the town.

In a statement, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the government stood ready to "do whatever it takes to give residents the maximum level of help and support."

Bardonecchia, located in the foothills of the Italian Alps, is popular with hikers in the summer and skiers in the winter.

The flooding in Bardonecchia was the latest in a long series of extreme weather events in Italy over the last 18 months. Much of the country is currently in the grips of its second lengthy and record-setting heatwave and drought in as many summers, a trend that has reduced agricultural production and caused red alerts across the country.

Many areas in northern Italy have been hit by massive thunderstorms this summer, with strong winds and hail causing severe damage. The extreme weather in Italy includes a series of floods in the central Italian region of Emilia Romagna in May that killed at least 15 people and displaced around 50,000. - XINHUA