Search for tourists

House flooded: German grandma & baby missing

The search for the two Germans has been in full swing since last night.(Bild: Screenshot/Vigili del Fuoco)

The storm emergency continues in nine Italian regions. The situation is worst in Tuscany. In the province of Pisa, the flood inundated a house belonging to a German tourist family. According to the rescuers, the mother, father and grandfather were rescued by the fire department. However, the grandmother and a five-month-old baby are missing.

According to the emergency services, the child's father, mother and grandfather were able to save themselves from the rising water level on a roof after the Sterza torrent in the municipality of Montecatini Valdicecina burst its banks.

Video of the operation in Montecatini Valdicecina:

Drones also used in the search operation
The fire department is involved in the search operation with divers, sniffer dogs and drones. Relief measures are also being carried out in the region for the damage caused by the storm.

The mayor of the village, Francesco Auriemma, reported that the search for the missing was difficult because the tourists were in an area that was difficult to access. 

There were also further storms near the Tuscan port city of Livorno.

Bad weather front now heading south
The bad weather front moved south on Tuesday. The city of Salerno was among those affected. Severe storms had already hit Italy last week, causing serious damage in the Emilia Romagna region in particular. The government announced 24 million euros in initial aid on Saturday.

Italy increasingly confronted with extreme weather events
Their number increased by 22 percent in Austria's southern neighbor in 2023, the warmest year since records began, according to the environmental protection association Legambiente. Last year, there were 378 extreme weather events, more than one per day. Last year, 31 people died in extreme weather events.