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Landslide rips through Italian holiday island amid confusion over fatalities

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

Many remained missing, while there was confusion over whether anybody had died.

The Italian news agency ANSA said the body of a woman had been retrieved.

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 had been 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.

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.

Dozens of people are believed to be stranded after 10 buildings were destroyed on the island, ANSA said.

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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.

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.

One family with a newborn were reported among the missing, but have now been found and are receiving medical care, Naples prefect Claudio Palomba said.

Rescue attempts hampered by bad weather

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

The disaster saw cars and buses dragged into the sea around the island.

Videos also show streets impassable and covered in debris.

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