Flash floods in Italy: what is happening in Marche, how much rain has fallen, how many people have died?

The Marche region of Italy has been subjected to heavy rain and flash flooding, leading to the death of multiple people.

Around half a year’s worth of rain fell on the region, leaving rivers and streams overflowing. Rescuers in the area have confirmed the death of mulitple people, while still searching for missing residents.

Here’s everything we know about the situation.

What happened in Marche?

The rain began falling on Thursday evening, with local mayor Ludovico Caverni telling RAI state radio: “It was like an earthquake.”

Rvers in the area overflowed, leading to families being seperated and residents going missing. According to reports, more than 180 firefighters were included in the rescue operation. Dinghy floats and helicopters were also used in the rescue.

It comes after the area experienced an unusually dry summer. Although rainfall was finally expected in Marche, officials say that the level of rainfall was not expected.

Marche regional official Stefano Aguzzi said: “We were given a normal alert for rain, but nobody had expected anything like this.”

How much rain fell on Marche?

It is believed that around 16 inches of rain fell on Marche in the matter of hours. The rainfall was equivalent to half a years worth of rain for the region.

At this time of year, the rainfall normally expected over the entire month of September for Marche is only 2.05 inches.

How many people died?

So far, officials have confirmed that 10 people have died as a result of the extreme flooding. There have also been residents reported missing.

According to local media, a mother escaped the floods with her young child. However, she soon became seperated after the River Mira overflowed. While the mother has been treated at hospital, her six-year-old son is still missing.

Around 50 people have also been admitted to hospital with injuries. This includes complications with hypothermia.

Emergency services have attempted to reach people who were forced to flee and are still missing. Some are believed to have scales trees