Niscemi landslide: National Civil Protection Service response

The Civil Protection Department continues to work closely with local civil protection authorities to monitor the impact of the severe weather that has affected several regions of southern Italy over the past few days, causing extensive damage even in inland areas.

In Sicily, on January 16, a significant landslide struck the municipality of Niscemi, in the province of Caltanissetta, causing initial critical issues in the western part of the town. On January 25, a second, larger landslide reactivated an old fault line near the southern part of the town, impacting much of the local road network, compromising the stability of numerous buildings, and disrupting essential services.

In response to these events, the Mayor ordered the establishment of a red zone and the evacuation of 1,500 residents, most of whom were accommodated by family members, while 20 people were housed in a reception center set up in the “Pio La Torre” sports hall. School activities were suspended to assess the safety of school buildings in the area affected by the landslide and to identify alternative solutions that would allow students to continue attending classes safely.

Several firefighting teams, along with approximately 60 volunteers from different local civil protection organizations, are also operating in the area to provide logistical support and assist the population. Law enforcement officials are ensuring public safety by enforcing the access ban to the red zone and monitoring the area.  

The University of Florence, a Centre of Competence of the Department, is scheduled to begin the first field surveys in the coming hours to monitor the movement of the landslide front. Additional measures are also being considered to enhance landslide monitoring, including the involvement of the Italian Space Agency.

This morning, Department Head Fabio Ciciliano visited Niscemi to conduct an on-site inspection.

Meanwhile, yesterday the Council of Ministers declared a state of emergency to address the exceptional weather events that have affected Calabria, Sardinia, and Sicily since January 18, causing severe damage to coastlines and significant impacts on economic and productive activities, infrastructure, and public services. An initial allocation of €100 million has been made to implement immediate measures, based on surveys conducted by the affected regions.