Historic floods force Italian Prime Minister to leave G7 summit early

Lũ lụt lịch sử, thủ tướng Ý phải rời hội nghị G7 sớm - Ảnh 1. — A flooded street in the town of Lugo, Emilia-Romagna region on May 19.

Torrential rains over the past several days have turned roads into rivers in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. The disaster has killed at least 14 people, caused billions of euros in damage and severely affected the agricultural sector, according to Reuters.

This is considered the worst flooding in Italy in the past 100 years. The floods have caused more than 305 landslides and damaged or disrupted more than 500 roads in the area.

About 36,000 people were forced to leave their homes and many who remained in the flood-hit areas were left without power.

Mayor Matteo Lepore of Bologna, the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region, said on May 20 that it will take "months, and in some places years" to repair roads and infrastructure.

More than 5,000 farms in the area, along with corn and grain fields, were flooded, according to Italy's Coldiretti farming association.

The Italian government has promised an additional 20 million euros ($22 million) in emergency aid. Two weeks ago, the Italian government allocated 10 million euros to deal with floods that killed at least two people. Luxury sports car maker Ferrari, based in Emilia-Romagna, also announced a 1 million euro donation.

Meteorologists say months of drought have dried out the soil, reducing its ability to absorb water, so heavy rains can easily lead to flooding.

The situation prompted Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to say on May 20 that she would leave the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, a day earlier than scheduled to lead the flood response.

"To be honest, I could not be away from Italy in such a complicated moment," Ms Meloni told reporters, thanking the 5,000 people - from rescue workers to volunteers - who had been mobilised to help those affected by the floods.

Ms. Meloni also thanked G7 leaders for their aid offers.

Prime Minister Meloni is scheduled to visit some of the worst-affected areas on May 21. On May 23, the Italian government will hold a cabinet meeting to decide on measures to help people cope with the emergency.