ANCONA – A strong wave of bad weather has overwhelmed the Marche. The toll is dramatic: seven dead and three missing in the province of Ancona. “About 420 mm of rain fell in two or three hours”, “there is the maximum commitment on the territory”, declares Luigi D’Angelo of the National Department of Civil Protection giving an idea of ​​what happened. The territory crossed by the Misa river is affected. The roads have practically become real streams of water.

Four bodies were recovered in Pinaello di Ostra, inside a garage; one in Trecastelli, perhaps a 72-year-old found in a basement in Passo Ripe, one in Barbara and in the last few minutes there is news of another victim; in the latter municipality there are also three missing persons: they would be a mother with her child, dragged by the fury of water and mud with the car near Molino Mariani. Another person.

Cantiano, a town of two thousand inhabitants on the border between the provinces of Pesaro-Urbino and Ancona, is literally invaded by water and mud, with citizens in the dark and phones on tilt and several cars floating in the central square and residents who in some cases have sought refuge on rooftops from the river of water and debris.

“May God help us”, writes the mayor of Barbara (Ancona), Riccardo Pasqualini on social media. The situation, he adds, “both on the Castelleone side and on the Serra de Conti side, is truly dramatic and tragic. I invite, if not absolutely urgent and necessary, not to go out and not to use the car, it is too dangerous and life-threatening”. Electricity is not stable due to “a severe and extensive situation, which simultaneously involves three provinces, about 20 municipalities”. Problems also for the telephone lines.

The mayor of Barbara has signed an ordinance, which provides for the closure of all schools for today. Similar decision in several other affected centers, such as Sassoferrato, Senigallia, Serra de ‘Conti, Cantiano. “I am following from the regional civil protection room, together with all the other authorities, the evolution of the very serious meteorological crisis that has hit our region and the rescue action of all the operators. These are moments of extreme apprehension”, he declares the president of the Region, Francesco Acquaroli.

“I am following, I am in contact with President Acquaroli, the situation is complex, and it seems to get worse hour after hour compared to the idea we had at the beginning. Of course we give full availability to try to help, are regions already affected. from the earthquake “. The president of Fratelli d’Italia Giorgia Meloni says this on Radio Anch’io on Radio 1, speaking of the water bomb that hit the Marche, whose president is an exponent of the Brothers of Italy, Francesco Acquaroli.

“After hearing the head of civil protection, the governor and his deputy, the councilor for health and some mayors and administrators of the wounded territory. All operational, others ready to intervene, we are alongside the populations hit by a water bomb from sky that, in a few hours, brought to earth more than half of the rain of an entire year “. Lega leader Matteo Salvini says so.

“In the face of the tragedy in the Marche, there is only the pain for the victims, the closeness to the affected population and the hope that the rescuers will succeed in their mission”. The leader of Action-Italy viva Carlo Calenda writes on Twitter.