Torrent: Cars are swept away by the flash floods
Violent storms have swept across Calabria, southern Italy, sparking powerful flash floods.
Mario Oliviero, governor of the region, is to call a state of emergency and ask for national assistance after the disaster.
The authorities are now trying to determine the extent of the damage, with the historic town of Rossano especially hard hit.
Torrents swept through the coastal tourist town, home to 40,000 people, bringing a chilling demonstration of nature at its most destructive.
Cars were swept away and piled in a heap in on the seafront and hundreds of holidaymakers had to be evacuated as floodwaters threatened a campsite.
Meanwhile, many locals were trapped in their homes and police had to rescue 40 people from a stricken hotel.
At the region's capital Catanzaro, sewers burst and and an aqueduct was broken as the streets flooded and left motorists stranded.
Rail services in the region were also closed by the severe weather conditions.
Calabria, which forms the "toe" of the boot-shaped Italian peninsula, has long been prone to catastrophic floods and landslides, and suffered violent storm surges in November 2013.
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