Italy: Rescue operation underway in Emilia-Romagna region as floods force thousands from their homes

Parts of the city of Faenza still remain submerged under water and thick layers of mud

Flooding in northern Italy has forced more than 10,000 people to flee their homes as emergency crews work to reach those stranded without electricity or heating.

Heavy rains in the Emilia-Romagna region have left at least nine people dead and farmers warning of "incalculable" losses to their livestock and crops.

Local mayors have said that some remote villages are still completely isolated because landslides had made roads impassable while phone services remained severed.

"If it rains anymore, the situation will be tragic," Mercato Seraceno Mayor Monica Rossi told Sky TG24.

Prolonged rainfall, earlier in May, had already led to an estimated loss of one billion euros (£869 million) from the region, but officials now fear that total stands at several times the original amount.

On Thursday, some parts of the city of Faenza were still underwater, with cars submerged and basements flooded by thick layers of mud.

Emergency services have conducted rescues via helicopter and dinghy as people continue to abandon their homes.

Italian farm lobby Coldiretti has said more than 5,000 farms with greenhouses, nurseries and stables had been flooded.

The group said damage estimates were "incalculable" as it is not yet known how long-lasting the effects of the floods on future harvests could be.

Italy's Cabinet is facing pressure to declare a state of emergency in the region, but a decision is not expected to be announced until next week, following the return of Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, from the G7 summit in Japan.

The Superior Institute for Environmental Protection and Research has identified Emilia-Romagna as one of the most at-risk Italian regions for flooding, with the area facing a higher risk of "hazard scenarios" than the rest of the country.

Flooding in the region is thought to have been made worse by heavy rains falling on drought parched soil, which has been unable to absorb the rainfall as well.

On Wednesday, Formula One (F1) cancelled the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, which was due to go ahead this weekend, in Imola.

In a statement, F1 said the decision to not go ahead with the sixth round of the season came as it could not safely hold the event.

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