The streets of Bardonecchia, a town near Turin in the Val di Susa mountain valley, were covered in thick gray mud after a sudden mudslide on Sunday night. Video recorded by witnesses showed a huge wave of dirt and debris smashing down a door as residents fled and mud spread across a street. Others showed thick mud running down the banks of the river that runs through the town.
Piedmont regional governor Alberto Cirio said there were no victims and five people previously believed to be missing had been located. In a Facebook post, Cirio said the damage was significant and that he had already contacted the national government for help.
Civil protection teams were on their way to clear the roads and check the hydrological situation of the Frejus river, which was the most affected, he said.
Six people were rescued overnight from an overturned camping van, firefighters said on social media.
At 4,265 feet (1,300 meters) high, Bardonecchia is a popular destination in the Italian Alps for winter mountain sports, as well as summer mountaineering. Several streams, torrents and tributaries pass through it, such as the Frejus, the Melezet and the Rochemolles. The town of 3,000 celebrated the day of its patron saint, Saint Hippolytus, on Sunday with activities and games during the day and a fireworks display scheduled for the evening, according to the local tourism agency.
