London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Aug 08, 2026

Landslide rips through Italian holiday island Ischia leaving dozens cut off

Heavy rainstorms destroyed at least 10 buildings on the island, which is around 20 miles off the coast of Naples.

Landslides have destroyed buildings and left residents cut off on the Italian holiday island of Ischia, authorities have said.

A woman has been found dead and about 10 people are still missing, Claudio Palomba, the prefect of Naples, told reporters.

A further eight people who had gone missing have been found, including a child, Mr Palomba added.

Italian news agency ANSA also said the body of a woman had been discovered.

Earlier, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said there had been no confirmed deaths - contradicting a previous statement from deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini, who said eight people were confirmed to have died.

Mr Piantedosi said some residents were believed to be under the mud, while about 200 had to be evacuated from buildings at risk of collapse. "Weather conditions are still challenging," he commented.

Heavy rainstorms and flooding caused several landslides in the town of Casamicciola Terme, which is around 20 miles (32 km) off the coast of Naples.

Almost five inches of rain fell in six hours - the heaviest for 20 years, according to officials.



Images from the island showed thick mud and debris, with several cars submerged on the shoreline.

Videos show impassable streets covered in debris.

Italy's fire brigade tweeted that seventy fire fighters were on the island, rescuing residents from damaged buildings and searching for the missing.

Motorboats and helicopters involved in rescue attempts have struggled to access the island because of the bad weather, the brigade said.

Teams of sniffer dogs later arrived by ferry.

Ten buildings have been destroyed, ANSA said.

Resident Lisa Mocciaro told the news agency there had been heavy rain from "around midnight".

"From 3am we started hearing roars. The first landslide came down, then another around five," she said.

Beniamino Iacono's business has been destroyed. "I had three shops, all next to each other, selling household appliances, Christmas items," he said.

"I've lost everything in this tragedy. I don't know what to say, we need help."

He added: "I have lost €100,000 to €150,000. The shops were full of stuff, are now they are full of mud.

"I will have to refurbish everything. I don't know how long it will take."

A video showed a man clinging onto the outside of a window covered in mud from the landslide.

When rescuers discovered him on Saturday morning they told him to keep his feet on the ground before they were able to save him.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Australian Crew Evacuates Seriously Ill American From Antarctica in Midwinter Darkness
Trump’s Top General Seeks an Exit Strategy From Iran War, Report Says
Brock Lesnar Retires From Wrestling, Closing a Career of Rare Athletic Range and Lasting Controversy
Welsh First Minister Raises Independence With UK Prime Minister in First High-Level Call
UK Maintains Severe Terror Threat Level as Prevent Report Highlights Online Radicalization
YouGov Poll Shows Labour Favourability Improves as Reform UK and Greens Lose Ground
Brexit Campaigner Arron Banks Admits Hiring Private Investigator to Examine Journalist
Robert Jenrick Leaves Conservatives for Reform UK in Major Parliamentary Defection
July 2026 Was England and Wales’ Driest Month on Record, Met Office Says
UK Government Considers Public Inquiry Into Jeffrey Epstein’s UK Connections
Trump-Era Policy Shifts Test the Boundaries of U.S. Institutions
UK Drought Cuts Harvests and Raises Food-Security Fears
UFO: Pentagon Releases Video of Unidentified Object Tracked Over Middle East
US Health Secretary: “I’m Not Afraid of Germs — I Used to Snort Cocaine Off Toilet Seats”
Ukraine Tells Senate Republicans Its Drone War Offers a Blueprint for America
Weight-Loss Drug Boom Tests the Limits of Prescription Advertising Rules
Trump Keeps Hegseth at Pentagon While Leaving Door Open for DeSantis
UK Clears Paramount’s Warner Bros. Discovery Deal, but US Trial Looms
UK Prosecutors Add 38 Charges Against Andrew and Tristan Tate
Taiwan’s President Joins Wartime Command Drill as China Pressure Grows
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan Sign Mutual-Defence Pact
Government Orders Review of Prison Release Rules After Concerns Over Grooming Gang Offenders
Rail Disruption Continues Across North-West England Amid Infrastructure Problems and Engineering Closures
UK Tax Authority Proposes Broad Changes to Rules Governing Company Distributions
UK Government Moves to Protect Standing Areas Outside Pubs From Local Restrictions
Extreme Right-Wing Referrals Under UK Prevent Programme Rise 42 Percent
EU Citizens in UK Warned That Some Residency Rights May Have Been Granted in Error
Every Monitored Body of Water in England Fails Chemical Purity Standards, Government Data Shows
UK Scientists Create First Artificial Intelligence-Designed Viruses
England Orders Primary Schools to Identify Children at Risk of Becoming Disengaged From Education or Work
Government Moves to Close Prison Release Loophole Amid Concern Over Grooming Gang Offenders
UK Economy Shows Modest Growth Despite Energy Volatility and Global Supply Pressures
Police and Prosecutors Failed to Stop Sex Offender Who Later Murdered Two Women, Review Finds
Millions in England Face Longer Mental Health Waiting Times as NHS Providers Cut Spending
Met Office Warns of Heatwave as Temperatures Across England and Wales Could Reach 36 Degrees Celsius
HMRC’s 2029 Tax Shift Could Overlap Old and New Self-Assessment Bills
Thetford Disorder Prompts Expanded Police Powers Amid Asylum-Housing Protests
Cambridge Faces Calls for Independent Review of Jason Arday Appointment
Scotland’s ‘Cock of the North’ Woodland Is Being Felled After Wind Damage
Reform UK and Greens Unite Against Vast Solar Plans for Kent Marshland
New Zealand Draws Wealthy Americans With Revamped Investor Visa
Senate Panel Votes to Hold Anthony Fauci in Contempt After Fifth Amendment Testimony
Cambridge Professor Jason Arday Resigns as University Opens Inquiry Into His Credentials
Manchester Power Failure Disrupts Trains Across North West Into Friday
UK Fashion and Tourism Sectors Prepare for Strong Summer and Autumn Activity
London Residents Seek Appeal Against Approval for Chinese Super-Embassy Development
UK Environment Officials Issue Biosecurity Alert Over Rising Bluetongue Cases in Livestock
UK Charity Regulator Opens Investigations Into Donations Linked to Israeli Settlements
Gatwick Expansion and Chinese Embassy Plans Highlight Growing UK Infrastructure Disputes
UK Agriculture Authorities Warn of Rising Bluetongue Virus Cases Among Sheep Farms
×