A dangerous storm has been reported in the Mediterranean between southern Italy and Malta, requiring multiple countries’ authorities to respond to the disaster. The devastation has caused Italy to take cautious measures to avoid more harm to its citizens.

There are 380 unconfirmed casualties off the coast of Sicily caused by the storm according to global news source The Guardian. The storm caused a shipwreck where 50 people have been confirmed dead as of January 26. Only one survivor from the shipwreck was rescued 24 hours after the disaster and is currently hospitalized in Malta. The Italian Coast Guard has begun their search for the victims overseas, but say that the victims could have possibly drowned due to the huge waves. The Italian Coast Guard also reports that eight ships arriving from a port in Tunisia heading to Italy are missing. The boats that are missing and the one that was shipwrecked contained people seeking refuge in Italy. In response to the situation, the Italian government has issued fines and mandates in place to tell ships to go to other ports that are not affected by the storm.

The New York Times stated that the storm has also caused landslides, collapsing homes along the cliffs and shore. The landslide stretched for 2.5 miles along the coast. Due to the landslide causing dangerous terrain, emergency workers have closed off the areas and evacuated the city. 1,500 people were evacuated from the area. Many homes and buildings on the cliffside collapsed after their supports were horrifically destroyed.

ABC News said that the Italian government declared a state of emergency for the southern regions hit by Cyclone Harry, including Niscemi, and put 100 million euros in emergency funding. Sicilian officials estimate total damage across the island is 2 billion euros. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni toured the landslide zone by helicopter and met with local and regional officials at the town hall. She pledged that the emergency funds represent only a first step, promising additional support to help displaced residents, restore infrastructure, and resume essential services such as roads, utilities, and schools.