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After the storms and floods in Italy, the number of victims continued to rise. According to Irene Priolo, the vice president of the hardest-hit region of Emilia-Romagna, at least eight people had been recovered by Wednesday afternoon.

Exceptionally heavy rainfall since the start of the week caused 21 of the region’s 23 rivers to burst their banks. 37 municipalities were affected by the floods. Authorities also recorded 250 landslides, 120 of which had serious consequences.

Regional president Stefano Bonaccini spoke of “incredible numbers and a large number of evacuees”. In the province of Ravenna and around the capital Bologna, among others, several thousand people had to leave their homes and be brought to safety.

Civil protection reported about 50,000 people without electricity and 100,000 people without a mobile network. Regional rail traffic in Emilia-Romagna has been completely stopped. Numerous roads have been flooded, many of them badly damaged.

In 36 hours, it rained an average of 200 liters of water per square meter, and in some areas as much as 500 liters. Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci explained that in those regions it usually rains 1,000 liters of water in an entire year. (sda/dpa)