The toll of bad weather that hit the Marche region in central Italy overnight from Thursday to Friday increased on Saturday to 11 dead and two missing, authorities said.
"
The search continues to find the two missing
", according to a press release from the prefecture of Ancona.
According to the local press, it is an eight-year-old child and a 56-year-old woman.
Waterspouts, the equivalent of six months of rain in places, fell on the Marches, causing floods and torrents of mud.
The water invaded the cellars, and many cars were carried away by the force of the current or buried under mudslides.
Falling trees and landslides have cut off many local roads, complicating the work of rescuers.
Bad weather persisted over much of Italy on Saturday, with strong winds on the west coast in particular, in Tuscany and Rome.
Read alsoBad weather: spectacular images of recent storms and floods
In the Marches, more rains are expected and local authorities have called on residents to stay at home.
“
Abandon the ground floor of your house and take refuge on the upper floors
,” the mayor of Senigallia, Massimo Olivetti, asked his constituents.
In Ravenna (east), the storm broke the moorings of a Norwegian cruise ship, the Viking Sea, on Saturday morning, with 870 passengers and 200 crew members on board.
It took five tugs and hours of delicate maneuvers to stabilize the boat and then bring it back to dock.
