Intense storms that hit southern Italy caused a major landslide in Niscemi. in SicilyMore than 1.500 residents had to leave their homes, according to a report released by Civil Defense on Tuesday (27).
The city of 25 inhabitants is located on a plateau that is undergoing a gradual subsidence process. According to local authorities, the phenomenon is driven by the accumulation of water underground after record rainfall.
Images from the site reveal buildings located on the edge of slopes that recently collapsed. The head of Civil Defense, Fabio Ciciliano, stated in an interview in Niscemi that residences located in critical areas cannot be occupied.
Ciciliano confirmed that residents of the affected areas will be permanently relocated. The government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni declared a state of emergency on Monday (26) for the regions of Sicily, Sardinia and Calabria.
The Italian government has allocated 100 million euros to cover the immediate needs of the affected populations. However, regional authorities estimate that the total losses exceed 1 billion euros.
The relocation of families in Niscemi is taking place amidst a climate of tension. Residents report that the geological problems in the region are longstanding and criticize the lack of preventative interventions by public authorities in previous decades.
Experts point out that extreme weather events have become frequent in Italy. Floods and landslides in various regions of the country have caused deaths and severe damage to infrastructure in recent years.
