Video shows devastating flash floods in Italy

FLASH floods and rivers of mud have killed at least nine in Italy after heavy rains and storms lashed the country from the Alps in the north to Sicily in the south.

The worst affected region was Liguria on the northwest coast, where two of the five World Heritage-listed 'Cinque Terre' villages were cut off after roads were swept away. One, Monterosso, has reportedly been all-but wiped out.

Tuscany was also badly hit, and infrastructure such as bridges, train tracks and roads have been severely damaged in the region. Several people are still missing. Alberto Monaci, the president of Tuscany, said his region and Liguria had been hit by a "meteorological explosion".

The military is being drafted in to help search for those still missing with up to 100 soldiers and two helicopters to take part. ·