At Least 14 Dead and More than 36,000 Displaced in Italy Due to Flooding

The planned visit of Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, to Kazakhstan was canceled due to the severe floods that affected her country, as reported by the spokesperson of the Kazakh President, Ruslan Zheldibay, on Sunday.

The spokesperson mentioned that Meloni interrupted her stay in Hiroshima, Japan, where she participated in the G7 summit, to visit “the areas affected by the natural disaster.” Instead of traveling to Astana, Meloni opted to have a phone conversation with the Kazakh President, Kasim-Yomart Tokayev.

The Prime Minister expressed on Saturday that she couldn’t stay far from Italy in such a complex moment, as reported by AFP.

The floods have affected the northern part of the country, and Emilia-Romagna is one of the most affected regions. According to reports, these are the worst floods Italy has experienced in 100 years.

AFP reports that at least 14 people have died as a result of this natural disaster, and local authorities have stated that over 36,000 people have been forced to leave their homes.

The heavy rains have caused numerous landslides, damaged or closed over 500 roads, and led to power outages.