23 Thousand People Still Refuge And 600 Roads Closed Post-Coordinating Italy

The bridge was broken due to overflowing rivers in Italy. (Wikimedia Commons/Nick.mon)

JAKARTA - More than 23,000 people are still displaced and have not returned to their homes, nearly a week after heavy rains triggered widespread flooding and killed 14 people in northeastern Italy, officials said.

Nearly 2,700 people are accommodated in hotels, schools, fitness centers and other centers established by the local government, while others live with friends or family, said Regional Government Emilia Romagna, as reported by The National News May 23.

Nearly two dozen rivers overflowed, flooding cities and submerging enormous agricultural land, after six months of equivalent-intensity rains, fell in just 36 hours earlier last week.

Cleaning has started in several areas, but some other areas are still flooded.

Efforts began on Monday to restore internet connections to hospitals, government offices, schools and people in remote areas.

The regional authorities said they had started distributing 100 Starlink terminals from Elon Musk's SpaceX in the area around Ravenna.

Apart from casualties, countless damage has occurred in one of the richest areas in Italy.

Meanwhile, agricultural organization Confagricoltura said at least 10 million fruit trees had to be cut down, even 40 million.

As of Monday, more than 600 roads are still closed, with the region estimating on weekends that more than 620 million euros are needed to rebuild roads and water-watered transportation networks.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni returned early from the G7 summit in Japan, to visit some of the worst-affected areas on Sunday, and is expected to hold a cabinet meeting on Tuesday to unblock emergency funds for the region.

Separately, several private groups have pledged funding to help Emilia Romagna bounce back, including Italian-France car company Stellantis, which pledged 1 million euros on Monday, the same fund was also promised by the Formula One racing team and luxury car manufacturer Ferrari, based in Maranello.

Meanwhile, LVMH from France, the world's largest luxury group that includes Italian brands Bulgari, Fendi and Dry, home to Gucci, has also made unnamed donations.

Emilia Romagna's leader, Stefano Bonaccini, has compiled a list of requests for government actions, including compensation for flood damage, assisting temporary agricultural workers and suspending tax payments and mortgages.

In the long term, he said the region needed comprehensive plans "for reconstruction, maintenance, and regional security" to address flood risk.