Homes are teetering over the edge of a terrifying fall after Storm Harry caused a massive cliff collapse in Sicily – with the local mayor describing the situation as ‘serious’
Incredible new footage shows the aftermath of a huge cliff collapsing due to a storm, sending homes teetering over the edge of a deadly fall.
More than 1,000 people were evacuated in Sicily after a 4.1 kilometer stretch of cliff crumbled during a storm, authorities said yesterday, with the land continuing to succumb overnight as rain seeped through the ground after several days of heavy rainfall.
In the aerial photo, captured in the southern hill town of Niscemi, a jagged, newly formed cliff edge can be seen cutting into the city as apartment buildings hang over the edge. Huge deposits can be seen at the base of the cliff, along with the rubble and rocks and soil.
No deaths or injuries were reported after the landslide, which occurred on Sunday, but local officials say the impact will continue to be felt in coming days as rainwater is absorbed into the ground.
“The situation continues to deteriorate as further collapses have been registered,” Mayor Massimiliano Conti told reporters on Monday.
He said local authorities were working with police, fire and civil protection units to assess next steps, including when children will return to school after classes, with classes canceled on Monday. “The situation is dire,” he added.
Italy’s civil protection unit said all residents in a four-kilometer radius around the landslide had been evacuated. Niscemi, with more than 27,000 inhabitants, is located about 27 kilometers inland from the southern coastal town of Gela.
Many coastal areas of Sicily were hit by Storm Harry last week, damaging coastal roads and homes. The region’s president, Renato Schifani, estimated the cost of the damage at 740 million euros. Storm Harry was also felt across the Mediterranean in Malta, while the Italian coastguard said last night that an estimated 380 people had died attempting to cross the sea in small boats during the storm.
One man is believed to be the miraculous sole survivor after clinging to the wreckage of a boat for about 24 hours before being rescued by a merchant ship near Malta on Friday. All others on the ship, which left Tunisia on January 20, are believed to have died in the storm.
On Monday, the Italian government declared a 12-month national emergency for the regions of Sicily, Sardinia and Calabria, with €100 million earmarked for redevelopment and storm recovery.
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