Italy extends floods emergency

A vineyard is struck by the force of the River Po

The Italian Government has extended the state of emergency in the north to the lower Po Valley, where Alpine flood waters are threatening historic towns.

I've got a restaurant under water

Cremona businessman

At least 30 people have been killed by the floods and in the Val d'Aosta region, near the French and Swiss borders, more victims are still being dug out of their ruined homes.

The River Po, Italy's biggest, has burst its banks, forcing the evacuation of more than 40,000 people.

The government has given $75m in aid, and is considering devoting more revenue from a forthcoming mobile phone privatisation.

Mantua braced

Water levels have fallen in the western Po plain, but continue to rise as the swollen river surges eastwards, downstream.

In the Reggio Emilia area, the Po was rising at about 10cm an hour on Wednesday.

About 500 people were evacuated in the countryside around the ancient city of Mantua, home of the Roman poet Virgil, where flood waters are expected to crest on Thursday afternoon.

"We are doing our best and waiting," said Mantua city official Mario Gravina.

The medieval cities of Cremona and Piacenza, with their Romanesque architecture, have already been invaded by the Po.

"Our only hope is that the water goes down as quickly as possible because I've got a restaurant under water," said Cremona resident Roberto Persegani.

Cultural treasures

But residents of Turin, a city of Baroque splendour badly hit by the floods earlier in the week, have now begun returning to their homes.

Cremona is one of the medieval cities hit

Vincenzo Pandolfino, an official of the Culture Ministry's art-protection squad, said there had been some flooding of churches, where much of Italy's cultural heritage is stored.

But he said the water had not yet caused severe damage to works of art, as happened during the 1966 floods in Florence, due to successful flood-control projects.

However the floods have caused massive disruption to the Italian economy, particularly to the car industry located in Turin.

Switzerland

In neighbouring Switzerland, first hit by the torrential rain on Saturday, at least nine people are now known to have died.

Explosives experts are due to blast through the rubble of the village of Gondo, sliced in two by a 40-metre wide landslide, in a search for more victims.

In the coming days more than 100 villagers are to be allowed to return to Gondo for 30 minutes to collect their belongings before it is decided whether the village will ever be safe to live in again.