Europe News

At least seven killed in Italy floods

Nov 4, 2011, 16:45 GMT

Rome - At least seven people were killed Friday in severe flooding in the north-western Italian city of Genoa, local media reported.

The dead included one elderly woman who was hit by cars that were carried away by flood waters.

The bodies of a mother and her two children, aged 8 and 1, were found in their car, which had also been swept away.

Some residents had to climb onto the roofs of their houses. Rescue services asked people to keep away from flooded areas and avoid driving. Continuing heavy rains were hampering rescue efforts.

Genoa's overflowing Ferreggiano river also destroyed a gas pipe.

Many schools remained closed across the region, while 1,000 people were evacuated from the town of Vernazzo, whose harbour, popular with tourists, was destroyed last week by storms and heavy flooding.

At least 10 people were killed last week in Liguria and Tuscany, causing Rome to declare a state of emergency in the region.