At least four people were dead and 20 missing after a river of mud flooded parts of the Sicilian city of Messina as the area was hit by heavy rains, AP reported. Officials said at least 100 people fled their homes when violent mudslides collapsed several buildings and swept away cars during a rain storm that lasted through Thursday night and early Friday. Mayor Giuseppe Buzzanca said that rescuers were using dogs to search for the missing in the hardest-hit suburbs, adding that rescue efforts were being hampered because many roads and railways were cut and parts of the city were still isolated, with help reaching those areas only on foot.
