Five missing in Bardonecchia after landslide causes flood

Five people were missing in Bardonecchia in the northwestern Piemonte region on Monday morning after a landslide at high altitude caused the Merdovine river to flood the town, Azernews reports, citing ANSA.

One person was reported to have sustained slight injuries as the sudden wave of water, mud and detritus that swept through Bardonecchia unexpectedly during the night.

A total of 120 people were said to have been displaced by the flooding and are now being accommodated in an Italian Red Cross camp and in hotels.

Firefighters intervened to rescue six people trapped in a camper that was swept downstream by the floodwater.

The local police station and hotel La Betulla are both badly damaged and the entire local fleet of police cars has been destroyed.

Local bridges have also been damaged, rendering the Alpine town near the French border inaccessible to all but the emergency services.

Gas supplies have been turned off in the area to prevent explosions.