Desperate search in Tuscany Still no sign of baby and grandma after flash floods

A German woman and her five-month-old grandson have been missing for days after flooding in Tuscany. Emergency services are searching for them - so far without success.

The search for the two missing Germans after flooding in Tuscany is continuing at full speed. The Italian fire department is deploying several search teams and dog handlers and using several drones. A woman from Bavaria and her five-month-old grandson have been missing since Tuesday night. After heavy rain, they were swept away by the floodwaters of a stream in their vacation home.

Over the past two days, more than a hundred firefighters and local civil protection volunteers have been searching for them. Most recently, the search efforts focused on an area about 500 meters downstream from the house rented by the German family in the town of Montecatini Val di Cecina near Pisa. After the Sterza stream overflowed its banks, debris and vegetation is now piling up there.

At the beginning of the week, it rained heavily in the area around Pisa and Livorno in the Tuscany region, which is popular with holidaymakers. It rained particularly heavily in the Montecatini Val di Cecina area. The Sterza stream burst its banks and surprised the German family in their vacation home. The family came from Munich and had already been in Tuscany for a good week.

Parents and grandfather were able to save themselves

According to media reports, dramatic scenes unfolded on Tuesday night. The family had been surprised by a tidal wave. They were probably initially able to cling to solid objects and contact the fire department. However, language difficulties made communication difficult. The line later collapsed. The baby's parents and grandfather were able to save themselves on the roof and survived. The grandmother and grandson were swept away.

dpa