01-07-2025
One dead as flash floods hit northern Italian town
The man was reportedly hit by a stream of water and mud after he got out of his van in the alpine town of Bardonecchia, around 90 kilometres west of Turin, Piedmont.
"We are increasingly faced with emergency situations due to weather events that we used to call rare but are now more and more frequent," Piedmont's President Alberto Cirio said on social media.
"A water bomb hit the town of Bardonecchia, causing damage and unfortunately a victim," he added.
The town's mayor warned residents not to leave their homes or approach bridges on Monday afternoon, as violent storms caused the Frejus waterway to break its banks in multiple locations along its course.
Videos published on social media showed water rushing down the Frejus, sending mud and debris over its banks.
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Local media identified the man as a resident of Bardonecchia – a resort town which hosted snowboarding events during the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Firefighters rescued at least 10 people trapped by the floodwaters on Monday, according to Italian media
Flash flooding struck nearly two years after the same town was hit by a major mudslide following heavy rainfall.
There were no casualties in the 2023 mudslide.
Heavy rains in the northwest came as much of Italy sweltered under a scorching heatwave.
17 Italian cities, including Rome, Florence, Milan, and Verona, were placed under the government's highest-level red heat warning on Tuesday, as experts forecast highs of up to 40°C in parts of the centre and south.
Scientists say that extreme weather events are becoming increasingly more frequent and intense in Italy due to the effects of climate change.
With reporting from AFP.
