Heavy rains and floods hit central Italy, killing 7

ROME

Seven people died as heavy rains and floods hit Italy’s central region of Marche in the late hours of Thursday, while other three were still missing, Italian media and civil protection officials said.

Civil protection chief Luigi d'Angelo described the flooding as "an extremely intense event," local media reported.

Stefano Stefoni, regional civil protection director told Italian news agency ANSA that about “420 millimeters of rain fell in two or three hours, half of what it rains in a year in the region."

Streets in many small villages in the Ancona and Pesaro-Urbino provinces were turned into rivers, as torrents of muddy water swept away cars, reaching the first floors of houses.

Rescue services were still searching for survivors, as three people – including a child – were still missing, authorities said.

The heavy rains are part of a wave of violent storms that are hitting regions across Italy.