At 7 pm a whirlwind hits the northern area of Pantelleria, in the Campobello district, near Cala Cinque Denti. From the sea, the wind overwhelms a dammuso. The roofs of some houses are jumping. The first photographs that arrive on social networks show cars overturned. The toll is dramatic: two dead and nine injured. “Four are in serious condition,” says Mayor Vincenzo Campo. “We are still evaluating what happened,” says the mayor an hour after the whirlwind fury. The mayor is on the front line to coordinate relief efforts. “We are still continuing the research.” Meanwhile, the 118 helicopter stationed in Lampedusa is ready to intervene. But at the moment the weather conditions are prohibitive, it is impossible to take off.
The victims are two residents: Giovanni Errera, 47, firefighter, and Francesco Valenza, 86, retired. They were in two cars, they were driving along the road that leads to the lake of Venus. They were thrown out of the cockpit.
“What presented itself to our eyes was an apocalyptic scene,” says a 118 rescuer, one of the first to intervene. “At the moment there are two confirmed deaths – he says – but the searches are continuing, to verify if there are missing. The whirlwind came from the sea – he explains – and in a few seconds it swirled houses and cars that were traveling along the perimeter road of the island ».
In the most dramatic moment for the island, it is a tam tam on social media. Photos arrive, but mostly messages from residents confirming that they are fine. On the opposite side of the island, in fact, the residents did not feel the whirlwind.
«The report arrived at 118 was due to a road accident – says another rescuer – as soon as we arrived we noticed those two overturned cars. There was nothing to be done. One corpse was on a low wall, the other on the ground ».
In the hospital, there are the injured. A doctor was in the car with his wife: he says he lost control of the car. “Suddenly we were thrown to the side of the road, but luckily the car didn’t overturn. We managed to open the doors and sought shelter. We are alive by a miracle ».
The president of the Region Nello Musumeci says: «I am close to the families of the victims. The tornado that struck Pantelleria unfortunately caused two deaths, several injuries and a lot of damage. I pray to God that the toll does not worsen and I am close to the families so suddenly affected by the dearest affections ». We search until late in the evening, with the light of the photoelectric: “I am in constant contact with the director of the regional civil protection, which has already been activated.” says President Musumeci.
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