At least 11 people in southern Italy by a flash flood that occurred when a creek in a deep mountain gorge swelled suddenly after heavy rainfall upstream.

Local authorities said five people were still missing and 23 others had been rescued after the flooding in the Raganello river gorge in southern Cozenza province.

They said the incident involved two groups of 18 hikers each. Spotlights were brought to the area so the search could continue overnight.

A Dutch hiker, quoted in local media, said: “A real avalanche of water came unexpectedly. We did not have time to do anything. I was lucky, it was an incredible thing.”

The nationalities of the dead and injured were not immediately known. Most tourists and trekkers who visit the area are Italian.



In some places the Raganello creek, part of the Pollino national park, is at the bottom of a narrow, 1km-deep gorge in the mountain. Rescue teams used ropes to descend the sides of the gorge to reach the site.

Hikers being rescued from Raganello creek. Photograph: Francesco Capitaneo/EPA

Images on national television showed helmeted mountain rescue squads rushing from the nearest town, Civita, to reach the gorge, a popular tourist attraction in summer.

The most seriously injured were taken by helicopter to hospitals in the provincial capital, Cosenza.

Last week, a motorway bridge collapsed in the northern Italian port city of Genoa, killing 43 people.