At least 10 people died Sunday when a torrent of flood water raged through a campsite in Italy's southern Calabria region in which a group of handicapped people were staying, Italian media and officials said.
Emergency workers picking through the mud-caked remains of the campsite, situated on the coast between Soverato and Montepaone, had by late Sunday recovered 10 bodies, but another 12 people remained unaccounted for, RAI state television reported.
A group of 35 handicapped people, all locals, and their 35 carers had been using the campsite at the time of the catastrophe, officials said. The parents of some handicapped people had also joined the group as their stay was to end late Sunday.
The river which ran alongside the camp had swollen dramatically after three days of heavy rain in the region. It finally broke its banks at dawn Sunday and brutally swept away everything in its path.
Thirty-eight people were taken to hospital, officials said.
Catanzaro officials have not yet been able to establish the exact number of people on the campsite when the flood water hit.
Rescue workers arrived on the scene several hours after disaster struck because access had been blocked by the torrents. Search operations were continuing into the night, with floodlights and earth diggers being dispatched to help.
The rains had caused damage to parts of the region before Sunday's tragedy.
Rail traffic between Sibari and Crotone was disrupted Saturday night when a 200-meter (yard) section of track was carried away by torrents of water.
The village of Roccella Ionica had to be evacuated after it was flooded by mud as a result of the torrential rain.
Coastal towns and villages in the region have experienced flooding and landslides, with many homes cut off by the rising waters.
Rampant illegal construction in Calabria has resulted in buildings being put up without proper planning permission in unsuitable areas vulnerable to extreme weather conditions. Civil protection workers said the campsite's safety had been questionable.
Officials said many buildings had been constructed on beachfronts and river banks without official permission - ROME (AFP)
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