Over 1,500 Evacuated After Landslide in Niscemi, Sicily

In the Sicilian hill town of Niscemi, more than 1,500 residents were evacuated from their homes after a massive landslide triggered by heavy storms left buildings teetering on a newly formed cliff edge, officials reported on Tuesday.

The collapse occurred on Sunday in the south-central town of about 25,000 people, roughly 17 miles inland from the coastal city of Gela. A four-kilometer stretch of the plateau on which Niscemi sits gave way, creating a drop of up to 45 meters and sending rocks, soil and debris tumbling toward the Gela plain below. Authorities described the landslide as still active, with further slippage recorded overnight as rainwater continued to soak the ground. Aerial images showed jagged fissures cutting through fields, apartment blocks overhanging the void and a car with its front end dangling into the chasm. No deaths or injuries have been reported, but several structures are now uninhabitable.

Fabio Ciciliano, head of Italy's Civil Protection Department, inspected the site and warned of the ongoing danger. "The entire hill is falling onto the Gela plain," he said. "The landslide is still fully active and the situation is critical. There are homes that can...