Three people have lost their lives and several others are still trapped under ruins

Nov 23, 2011 15:22 GMT  ·  By

A deadly mudslide powered by heavy rain killed three people in Saponara, Sicily and trapped several others under collapsed buildings. Rescue teams join efforts to save as many lives as possible.

They have spend the entire night looking for victims through endless piles of ruins, according to the Telegraph. The total numbers of lost lives remains uncertain at this point in time.

So far, two members of the same family, a young boy and his father, and another person have died. Apparently, authorities reached the conclusion that the region is safe from natural calamities and it is likely that a lack of measures of precaution has aggravated this tragedy.

Nicola Venuto, Saponara's mayor, states that the town wasn't considered at risk. As we speak, streets are painted in black as mud took over most of the cars and the facilities built in the affected areas.

Milazzo and Barcellona Pozzo Di Gotto are two of the most affected towns in Sicily, according to the Telegraph.

This phenomenon was triggered by extreme weather conditions recorded in Italy over the last few weeks and led to massive material damages and lost lives especially in northern and central Italy. So far, severe weather is correlated with the deaths of 20 people in several Italian regions.