An eight-year-old girl with hypothermia is among 23 people rescued from flash flooding in the Pollino National Park in southern Italy.
At least 10 hikers died in the Calabria tourist spot after they were hit by a wall of water on Monday.
Rescuers looked for survivors into the night, with helicopters airlifting the injured to local hospitals.
Local reports say the eight-year-old was found in a state of shock by rescuers beside a dead body.
Officials believe the girl’s parents are “almost certainly” among the victims, according to Pasquale Gagliardi, medical director of the regional helicopter rescue service.
He posted emotional photographs of the girl’s rescue on his social media pages.
One was captioned (in Italian) “you’ll make it, little one.”
Witnesses say heavy rain in the Pollino National Park area caused a sudden rush of flood water, rocks and mud through the Raganello creek where dozens of hikers had been exploring.
The flood waters engulfed some, sending them downstream, while others reportedly scrambled to higher ground to escape.
Carlo Tansi, head of civil protection in Calabria, told reporters on Monday that those hit by water were “catapulted out like bullets” and washed down the valley for about 3km (two miles).
“The Raganello Gorge is narrow and tall, it can get up to 1km (3,200ft) high,” he said. “The gorge filled up with water in a really short time.”



