Venice - The annual festival on the banks of Lierza, Italy, which should take place full of excitement, suddenly turned into a full emotion after four people died in the river drift.
Italian authorities said they drifted after flash floods hit the village in northern Italy, where the festival was held. In that incident, 20 others injured.
Rescuers and officials said the flooding occurred when about 100 people gathered on the banks of the river, near the town Refrontolo, north of Venice, on Saturday, August 2nd 2014 "Water and mud slammed into a crowd," said the Italian authorities.
"No one has ever seen anything like it. There are water waves as high as two meters. Persons clinging to a tree to save themselves," said Mirco Lorenzon, a local civil protection official in an interview published by the Italian news channel SkyTG24, as published by Al Jazeera , Monday (08/04/2014).
"The rain storm caused about 50 landslides and significant property damage in the area," said Lorenzon.
Based on the pictures and videos posted online related to the tragedy, seen the cars washed away or stranded in the river near the tree.
"An hour and a half of rain so heavy you could not see anything," said Luca Zaia governor of the Veneto region during a visit to the disaster site.
"Within an hour, I will sign the papers that declared a state of emergency for the area," said Veneto in a television interview.
Italian Environment Minister Gian Luca Galletti said, tragedy is a reminder of the need to address the structural fragility of the ground in some areas.
According to a report by the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate in Bologna, Italy rainfall in July this year 74 per cent higher when compared with 1971 and 2000 As a result, the number of flood-stricken areas has doubled to 8 point in 10 years last.
Actually deadly floods and landslides are common in Italy. At last November in Sardinia, floods killed 18 people.
Italian authorities said they drifted after flash floods hit the village in northern Italy, where the festival was held. In that incident, 20 others injured.
Rescuers and officials said the flooding occurred when about 100 people gathered on the banks of the river, near the town Refrontolo, north of Venice, on Saturday, August 2nd 2014 "Water and mud slammed into a crowd," said the Italian authorities.
"No one has ever seen anything like it. There are water waves as high as two meters. Persons clinging to a tree to save themselves," said Mirco Lorenzon, a local civil protection official in an interview published by the Italian news channel SkyTG24, as published by Al Jazeera , Monday (08/04/2014).
"The rain storm caused about 50 landslides and significant property damage in the area," said Lorenzon.
Based on the pictures and videos posted online related to the tragedy, seen the cars washed away or stranded in the river near the tree.
"An hour and a half of rain so heavy you could not see anything," said Luca Zaia governor of the Veneto region during a visit to the disaster site.
"Within an hour, I will sign the papers that declared a state of emergency for the area," said Veneto in a television interview.
Italian Environment Minister Gian Luca Galletti said, tragedy is a reminder of the need to address the structural fragility of the ground in some areas.
According to a report by the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate in Bologna, Italy rainfall in July this year 74 per cent higher when compared with 1971 and 2000 As a result, the number of flood-stricken areas has doubled to 8 point in 10 years last.
Actually deadly floods and landslides are common in Italy. At last November in Sardinia, floods killed 18 people.
