• Italy: Two dead in the floods of Venice, the worst in more than 50 years

The president of the Italian Government, Giuseppe Conte, who since Wednesday is in Venice after the severe flood he has suffered, announced that the state of emergency and the first aid for residents and commercial activities will be approved in today's Council of Ministers.

Conte also announced today that on November 26 an interministerial committee will be convened, with the presence of local authorities, to "discuss the structural problems of Venice", which, as the Italian Prime Minister recalled, is due not only to high water but also to the passage of the great cruises.

He explained that a first phase of aid has already been studied in which residents will be compensated with a first 5,000 euros and up to 20,000 euros to those who have commercial activities in the city and "who has suffered more consistent damages will be analyzed calmly and they will carry out technical analyzes in order to be compensated. "

He confirmed that the name of the commissioner will be communicated shortly for the completion of the Mose, the gigantic engineering work for the arrival of the high water to Venice, but whose construction has been delayed and has been surrounded by controversies and corruption episodes.

"The catastrophe that has affected Venice is a blow to the heart of our country. It hurts to see the dalos in the city, the artistic heritage in danger and the reverse of commercial activity," said Conte.

Venice suffered the most serious flooding since 1966 on Wednesday, with 80% of the city affected by rising tide to 187 centimeters.

As if it had suffered a tsunami, the exceptional tide flooded a good part of the City of the Dogos, left drifting gondolas, propelled vaporettos (river taxis) out of the canals , flooded luxury hotels, museums, restaurants, shops and private homes that are on average one meter above the usual water level.

The famous Basilica San Marcos, a Byzantine jewel, was flooded by a meter of water. Hundreds of tourists walked with water to the waist to reach their hotels. The 160 mobilized firefighters had to perform 400 interventions.

"We had never seen anything like it," said Alvise, a 19-year-old Italian, who came along with friends to check the damage.

During the past night, the tides remained at low levels and this morning they rose again and reached 120 centimeters, so emblematic places such as St. Mark's Square were flooded again and the walkways had to be used to access.

The City Tide Center that monitors the level of the phenomenon of "high water" in the city warned that the alert will continue throughout the week and that a peak of 145 centimeters is expected this Friday. Conte explained that the damages at the moment are not quantifiable and stressed that he has spoken with people who have lost everything

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