Bulgaria’s Consul in Rome: Italian authorities confirm that one of the victims of the landslide on Ischia island is Bulgarian

Only today we have received confirmation that one of the victims on the deadly landslide on the island of Ischia is a Bulgarian citizen, Bulgaria’s consul in Rome, Nelly Simeonova, told BNT on November 28. Here is what she said:

"Only today an official confirmation was received from the office of the Prefect of Naples that one of the victims of the landslide on the island of Ischia, municipality of Casamichola, is the Bulgarian citizen Nikolina Gancheva Blagoeva, born on 21 May 1964. So far, her identity has not been confirmed, so we have not officially notified either the Ministry or the relatives. At the request of the judge in the Naples court, an external examination of the corpse of the deceased was carried out and she was identified by the staff of the Ischia State Police. Unfortunately, it turned out to be really her, we hoped it might not be this woman, but in the end it turned out to be her. It is with great regret that we have to offer our condolences to the family who have been informed through other lines, but I have no way of confirming without having received an official communication and we have only just received it."

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At least seven people have been killed on the southern Italian island of Ischia after a landslide caused by torrential rain swept away homes on the island near Naples.

The landslide was triggered on Saturday by exceptional rainfall and sent a mass of mud and debris hurtling through the port town of Casamicciola Terme.