The death toll from
Saturday's landslide on the Gulf of Naples island of Ischia rose
to eight on Monday when the body of another victim, a
15-year-old boy, was recovered, as rescue workers continued the
search for four people who are missing.
The eighth victim was named as Michele Monti.
The bodies of his younger siblings, Francesco and Maria Teresa,
were found on Sunday and his parents, Gianluca Monti and
Valentina Castagna, are among the people who are unaccounted
for.
A newborn baby is also among the confirmed victims of the
disaster.
Five people are injured and 230 are homeless after a massive
avalanche of mud and debris hit the town of Casamicciola Terme
following intense rain.
On Sunday Premier Giorgia Meloni's cabinet declared a state of
emergency on the island and approved an initial allocation of
two million euros in funding to address the aftermath of the
landslide.
Ischia's schools will remain closed on Monday and Tuesday.
The disaster has raised questions about buildings being
constructed in areas that are at a high risk of flooding and
landslides, often without the required permits.
This problem of hydrogeological risks regards many parts of
Italy, not just Ischia, which is popular with tourists thanks to
its natural beauty and thermal bath.
Experts say the problem is likely to be made worse by the
climate crisis, which is causing extreme weather events such as
powerful storms and flash floods to be more intense and more
frequent.
Also under fire is an amnesty issued in 2018 by the government
of then premier Giuseppe Conte, now leader of the populist
5-Star Movement (M5S), which has been accused of effectively
allowing residents to rebuild illegal and unsafe homes.
Earlier this year 11 people were killed by flash floods in the
central region of Marche after torrential rain.
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