A "tsunami" of mud hit Bardonecchia a few hours ago, a small town in the Val di Susa a few kilometers from the border with France.

The city woke up submerged in mud after the flooding of Rio Merdovine , the stream that broke its banks last night due to a landslide at high altitude. Fortunately there are no victims, the five missing have all been traced.

"This is certainly good news - said the president of the Piedmont Region, Alberto Cirio - However, the damage is very significant and I have already heard from Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani who has already given the government's willingness to do its part to help us deal with this situation".

The cars were completely covered in mud and the streets covered in piles of debris . The flow overwhelmed everything in its path: road signs, cars and even bus shelters.

More than 100 people spent the night as displaced persons . The police station and a hotel near the creek, which has been cleared, also suffered damage. Many bridges are still not passable.

Firefighters are at work on site, to make the structures and buildings involved in the disaster safe.

(Unioneonline/D)

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