President Sergio Mattarella on
Wednesday called Catania Mayor Salvo Pogliese to express the
head of State's support after a deadly wave of extreme weather
hit the Sicilian city and the surrounding province, the
president's office said.
The flash floods caused by a Mediterranean hurricane that has
battered the area in recent days have claimed at least two
lives, a 53-year-old man who was engulfed in water at Gravina di
Catania on Tuesday and a 67-year-old man who was swept away in
the town of Scordia on Sunday.
The latter's 54-yea-old wife is still missing.
Fabrizio Curcio, the head of Italy's Civil Protection
Department, on Wednesday held a meeting with local authorities
on facing the emergency caused the storms at the city's
prefect's office.
Catania's streets and squares were turned into cascading
'rivers' on Tuesday because of the flooding, which caused
massive damage in addition to loss of life.
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