Cyclist swept away by flooded stream in Biella area

A cyclist was swept away by a flooded stream in the Biella area as much of Italy continued to be swept by thunderstorms and torrential rain, supercharged after brutal heatwaves, on Tuesday. The man was engulfed by the flooded Cervo stream at the Castelletto Cervo ford, in the Biella area, on the Mottalciata side, and a search is underway. The accident occurred around 5:30 a.m., and civil protection personnel, present to monitor the flood, noticed the man near the closed crossing. They attempted in vain to stop him before he was swept away by the current. Firefighters with the SAF unit and the Carabinieri are working on the ground, while a helicopter from Varese with divers from Milan, along with the local mayors, is patrolling the area from above. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA