Thousands of firefighters and emergency workers used cranes and bulldozers to search for people feared buried under the fast-flowing mud. Rescuers found at least 160 people buried up to their hips, CNN reports. The hardest-hit towns were Sarno, Quindici and Siano, all south of Naples in Salerno and Avellino provinces. The town of Sarno has fared the worst so far. Here, mud and debris burst through the first floor of Villa Malta hospital, sweeping away part of a staircase.
Relief workers continue searching for several doctors and patients.
The children's father survived by climbing onto the roof. In Quindici, a mudslide killed a popular former mayor known for her fight against the area's powerful organized crime syndicate. Many residents spent Tuesday night on rooftops or on the highest floors of apartment buildings to avoid the mud. A train line was cut north of Salerno, where the coastline winds westward to the Amalfi coast, one of southern Italy's most popular tourist destinations. The rain stopped in most of southern Italy by early Thursday and better weather is expected through much of the day.