A German grandmother and her five-month-old grandson are missing after a flash flood swept through their holiday home near Pisa, Tuscany. The tragedy unfolded when the nearby River Sterza overflowed its banks, inundating the house where the family was staying.
The family, on vacation in Italy, called emergency services on Monday evening as floodwaters began pouring under their door. However, a language barrier and difficulties in locating the family delayed rescue efforts.
As the family attempted to reach higher floors of the house, the baby tragically fell into the water, and his grandmother was swept away while trying to save him, according to the mayor of Montecatini Val di Cecina, Francesco Auriemma.
The baby’s parents and grandfather managed to reach the rooftop and were later rescued, but the search for the grandmother and baby continues. Over 100 firefighters are involved in the operation, facing challenging conditions as roads have collapsed and vast areas are covered in mud.
Firefighter Nicola Cianelli described the floodwaters as rising “incredibly quickly,” with waves as high as 2.5 meters (8 feet) hitting the house. Heavy rainfall has battered the region since Monday, and more bad weather is expected.
The Tuscany region has experienced unprecedented rainfall, with more water falling in six hours than typically accumulates in an entire rainy month, according to regional president Eugenio Giani.
The flood marks the worst weather event in the region’s recorded history.
This disaster follows serious flooding in nearby Emilia Romagna last week, where over 1,000 people were evacuated and two remain missing.