This is the terrifying moment a “mud tsunami” crashed into an Italian alpine town, sending people fleeing for their lives.
Dramatic video shows the river of boiling mud forming a huge wave as it burst and crashed into a street following heavy rain in the town of Bardonecchia, near Turin, in the Val di Susa valley.
Horrified residents were sent running for their lives as the huge ‘mud tsunami’ smashed through a door and sent debris flying towards them on Sunday night.
Another video shows a thick wall of mud rolling down the banks of the river that runs through the Alpine town, covering cars with debris.
Rescuers desperately searched for five people believed to have disappeared following the mudslide, but authorities later said all residents had been found and there were no casualties.
Dramatic video shows the river of boiling mud forming a huge wave as it burst and crashed into a street following heavy rain in the town of Bardonecchia, near Turin in the Val di Susa valley
Horrified residents were sent running for their lives as the huge ‘mud tsunami’ smashed a door and sent debris flying towards them on Sunday evening (right)
Another video shows a thick wall of mud flowing down the banks of the river that runs through the Alpine town, covering cars with debris
Cars and motorhomes were damaged in the Bardonecchia mudslide on Sunday
Cars were covered in mud after the mudslide tore through the Italian Alpine town
Piedmont regional governor Alberto Cirio said the damage was extensive and he had already asked the national government for help.
Civil protection teams were on their way to remove debris from the roads and check the situation with the Fréjus river, which was mainly involved, he said.
Firefighters said crews rescued six people from an overturned motorhome overnight after it was swept away by the mudslide.
Bardonecchia, located at 4,265 feet (1,300 m), is a popular destination for winter mountain sports and summer hiking, and several streams, creeks and tributaries feed into it, including the Fréjus, Melezet and Rochemolles.
On Sunday, the town of 3,000 people celebrated its patron saint, St Hipolito, with activities and games, and fireworks planned for the night, according to the local tourism agency.
Italy has faced a series of deadly floods and storms in recent months, with 13 people killed in May after a devastating flood ripped through homes in the popular resort region of Emilia-Romagna.
A car was damaged after heavy rain caused a landslide in Bardonecchia, Italy on Monday
Residents inspect the damage in Bardonecchia, Italy, on Monday after the mudslide
A petrol station was covered in mud following the Bardonecchia mudslide on Monday
Workers clear rubble from the streets of Bardonecchia, Italy, after the mudslide
Desperate families – including young children and the elderly – were forced to climb to their roofs in the tourist hotspot as they waited impatiently for rescuers to reach them by helicopter.
Severe storms also hit northern Italy last month, killing a woman and a 16-year-old girl scout.
The July 25 night storm saw roofs torn off and hundreds of trees uprooted in Milan. Roads were blocked and cars were crushed by debris.
In the northern provinces of Monza and Brescia, a woman and the 16-year-old girl were killed after being crushed by falling trees, while a teenager was seriously injured when he was hit by the fall of a branch in the Veneto region.
Tourist attractions also took the brunt of the bad weather, as Sforza Castle was closed after a few tiles fell and the rain was strong enough to penetrate the glass-walled Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan’s famous shopping arcade.
