Floods kill 3 in northern Italy amid heavy rain

By Ilayda Cakirtekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - Flooding triggered by heavy rain since Thursday has killed three people in northwestern Italy, local media reported Friday.

Two of the victims were found on Friday after their vehicles had fallen into an open sinkhole, while the third was found trapped inside his home Thursday, according to Italy’s public broadcaster Rai News.

The Piedmont region has been contending with severe weather since Thursday as torrential rain and strong winds resulted in widespread flooding.

Authorities initially placed the region under a red alert, the highest level of warning, as rivers overflowed and road and rail services were disrupted.

Although a “slight improvement” was reported on Friday, Piedmont remains on orange alert due to the continued avalanche risk.

The extreme weather has also caused power outages and left some homes isolated. Rescue operations are ongoing across the region.