ROME: One woman died after her car was swept away by an avalanche of water and mud as a heatwave broke into storms in the Italian Alps, police said Saturday.
The incident occurred overnight near the top ski resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo in the Dolomites range in the northeast of the country.
The car was recovered in a river bed covered in detritus but emergency services were unable to resuscitate the woman.
The tragedy follows the deaths on Thursday of two pensioners, a 79-year-old woman and an 82-year-old man, who were caught up in wild fires in, respectively, the central region of Abruzzo and near Matera in the south of the country.
Fires have been breaking out across Italy as a result of a heatwave which has seen peak daytime temperatures top 40 degrees Celsius (104 Farenheit) across most of the country for over a week.
Humidity and other factors are making it feel much hotter with the so-called ‘perceived’ temperature in Campania, the region around Naples, estimated at a broiling 55 Celsius (131 Farenheit) on Friday.
Hospital admissions are running 15-20 percent above seasonal norms and food producers are forecast to suffer billions of dollars in losses as a result of reduced crop yields.
![]()
One dead as freak weather breaks in Italian Alps
One dead as freak weather breaks in Italian Alps
Gangs allegedly ‘forced’ votes in Honduras election
TEGUCIGALPA: A prominent human rights group said Thursday gang members in Honduras “forced” voters to cast ballots during the November 30 presidential elections, and alleged seven political killings during the campaign.
Gang violence is a major problem in Honduras, where groups like Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha are considered terrorist organizations by the United States.
NGO Cristosal said its investigation revealed killings of six men who “held or claimed to hold a municipal level post” and “a five year old child” who died in an armed attack on a Libre party demonstration.
The NGO also found “certain acts of coercion” based on gang presence near polling stations, Cristosal Director of Investigations Rene Valiente told AFP — but they did not determine which party the criminals favored.
Current president Xiomara Castro claimed voters for her left-wing party, Libre, “were threatened by bands and gangs in different regions of the country.”
She called for an investigation.
The results of the November 30 election remain unknown, but are already in dispute by both right-wing candidates, television host Salvador Nasralla and Nasry Asfura, who is backed by US President Donald Trump.
National election officials said Monday Asfura held a slight lead — a little over one percent — on his opponent.
Castro’s government has imposed a state of emergency on Honduras since December 2022, to reduce crime — a move criticized by human rights advocates.
Gang violence is a major problem in Honduras, where groups like Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha are considered terrorist organizations by the United States.
NGO Cristosal said its investigation revealed killings of six men who “held or claimed to hold a municipal level post” and “a five year old child” who died in an armed attack on a Libre party demonstration.
The NGO also found “certain acts of coercion” based on gang presence near polling stations, Cristosal Director of Investigations Rene Valiente told AFP — but they did not determine which party the criminals favored.
Current president Xiomara Castro claimed voters for her left-wing party, Libre, “were threatened by bands and gangs in different regions of the country.”
She called for an investigation.
The results of the November 30 election remain unknown, but are already in dispute by both right-wing candidates, television host Salvador Nasralla and Nasry Asfura, who is backed by US President Donald Trump.
National election officials said Monday Asfura held a slight lead — a little over one percent — on his opponent.
Castro’s government has imposed a state of emergency on Honduras since December 2022, to reduce crime — a move criticized by human rights advocates.
Latest updates
© 2025 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.