At least seven killed by landslide on Italy’s Ischia island

In Italy, at least seven people, including a newborn baby and two children, were killed on the southern holiday island of Ischia after a landslide caused by torrential rain devastated a small town, an official said on Sunday.

Five people were still missing, Naples prefect Claudio Palomba told a news conference. He said dozens of emergency workers rushed to the island while rescue divers searched the waters off the coast.



A wave of mud, debris and stones broke away from the island's highest mountain on Saturday and crashed down over houses and roads in and around town of Casamicciola Terme.

Densely populated, Ischia is a volcanic island which lies some 30 km from Naples. It draws visitors to its thermal baths and picturesque coastline.The death toll is likely to rise further as search operations are underway.