Italy storm toll tops 30

Floods have killed 12 people on the southern island of Sicily, nine of them from the same family, rescue services said yesterday, taking the week’s toll across Italy past 30.

Six Italian regions remain on high alert for storms. The bodies of nine people were found in their house in Casteldaccia in the Palermo region, next to a small river which had burst its banks, rescue services said.

The victims included children aged one, three, and 15. Three other members of the family managed to escape, one by climbing a tree, the Agi news agency reported.

After flying over Casteldaccia Sunday, Sicilian prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio described a “total disaster”. Officials have opened an investigation to determine whether houses built near the river met legal safety norms.