With great seafood, charming coasts and shedloads of sun, Sicily is a popular hotspot for summer holidays – but the Italian island has also seen its fair share of extreme weather events.
A significant landslide saw chunks of land on the southern side of the island collapse throughout Sunday and Monday, which is obviously worrying news if you’re travelling imminently. That’s why we’ve compiled a guide on the latest advice, including information on the affected area and what your rights are if you have a trip booked.
What’s happening in Sicily right now?
Niscemi is a little town in the Caltanissetta province, on Sicily’s southern side. On Sunday January 25, after the ground was pummeled by Storm Harry, a 4km stretch of the town’s cliff edge collapsed and more than 1,500 residents were evacuated to stay at the homes of relatives and in a local sports arena.
According to the BBC, parts of the cliff continued to crumble on Monday January 26 and the land had dropped by another 10 metres on Tuesday morning.
Is it safe to travel?
Thankfully no fatalities or casualties have been reported as a result of this landslide, however, according to the town’s mayor Massimiliano Conti, ‘the situation is dire, especially since the creaking continues, and the rain isn’t helping either the relief operations or the technical surveys’.
As of Tuesday, schools in the town remained closed, as is the road connecting Niscemi with Gela, according to the Guardian. Sicily’s civil protection authority believes that all homes within a 50-70 metre radius chasm will collapse, and there are even fears that the land’s condition could lead to damage of Niscemi’s historic centre.
Are flights still running to Sicily after the landslide?
Yes, despite the landslide, flights are running as normal to all four of Sicily’s international airports: Palermo, Catania, Trapani and Comiso.
What’s the latest UK Foreign Office travel advice?
The UK Foreign Office has not updated its travel advice page in light of the landslide, so if you choose not to travel because of the event, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to cancel without a penalty.
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