Torrential flooding hit the northwestern Italian city of Genoa today, killing seven people including two children as heavy rains turned streets into raging waterways, smashing shop windows and sweeping cars aside in a trail of mud and sludge.
Television footage showed cars floating and people wading knee-deep through flooded streets in the medieval port, the largest city on the northwestern coast.
"This is like a report from a war, it's a truly dramatic situation," said Renata Briano, a local official of the Protezione Civile emergency services.
Local authorities confirmed a seventh person had been killed after six deaths were earlier reported.
In areas close to the city, local media reported maintenance crews were working to clear highways blocked by debris and repair gaping holes into the road surfaces caused by the huge volume of water.
The flooding follows days of heavy storms in northern and central regions which killed at least 10 people and caused widespread flooding and mudslides, forcing the government to declare a state of emergency in Liguria and Tuscany.
High winds and heavy rains are expected to continue until at least Sunday, weather services said.
Schools and museums are expected to be closed and Sunday's Serie A soccer match between local team Genoa and rivals Inter Milan has been postponed.
Reuters