MSG075G/01E ITALY: Emergency Continues Despite Some Better Weather
ROME, Nov 09 (IPS) - Italy enjoyed a brief spell of good weather Wednesday after suffering more than a week of the worst storms since 1913. The disaster devastated the north of the country and left over 100 dead, dozens missing and thousands homeless.
The Civil Defense have recovered 65 bodies, but dozens of people remain missing, the homeless so far amount to 10,000 and damage is estimated at seven billion dollars.
The Po river in the Lombardy region is expected to reach its highest level on Wednesday or Thursday, threatening the Padana agricultural plain and the city of Modena, 530 kilometres north of Rome.
Modena authorities say that the Po is already 1.5 metres above its maximum level, and continues to rise at a rate of 12 centimetres an hour.
In the Piamonte and Liguria regions, the crisis has affected 242 towns, 11 of which remain isolated and unable to recieve assistance.
The government has declared a state of emergency in all affected areas - Piamonte, Liguria, Lombardy, el Veneto, and parts of Emilio Romania - until 1995, and has set up a three billion dollar disaster relief fund.
Nov. 11 has been declared a day of national mourning for the disaster victims.
Giancarlo Molteni, a small industrialist in Asti, said, "the mourning, like the aid, is too late. There are towns of 900 where 20 have died. The fruit of 50 years' hard work has turned to mud."
Interior Minister Roberto Maroni was appointed Special Minister representing the affected regions. He called for a commission to investigate recent events, believing that Italy's inability to respond rapidly to the emergency is the fault of previous governments and past provincial administrations.
The army, fire departments, Red Cross and Civil Defense are working alongside 10,000 volunteers to locate survivors, and further offers of manpower and materials have come from the southern regions.
Italian Members of the European Parliament wrote to European Commission President Jacques Delors requesting "urgent intervention from the European Union and funds for disaster relief and reconstruction."
© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service