Italy storms: Two families killed in Sicily villa as river floods on southern island

'My son Federico tried to save his little sister, but both died,’ says Giuseppe Giordano

Nine people from two families have been killed on the Italian island of Sicily after their rented villa became submerged when a river burst its banks.

Giuseppe Giordano lost his wife, two of his children, his parents and a brother, hours after the family had gathered over the weekend at the property in Casteldaccia.

He survived along with his daughter because they were running an errand when water and mud from river Milicia swamped the house, Italian news agency ANSA reported.

Another child was outside the house and clung to a tree as the water rose.

"There was a river of water, I was knocked down and grabbed hold of a tree," Mr Giordano told reporters. "I was yelling, 'Help, help."'

His 15-year-old son had died trying to save his three-year-old daughter, he added. His one-year-old son was also among the victims, he said.

"I saw the windows go dark, the light go out, a layer of mud was moving across the floor," Mr Giordano said of the moment he swept away from the house by the force of the water.

The other three family members who died in the home have not been named.

Casteldaccia Mayor Giovanni Di Giacinto told Sky TG24 that the flood water reached two metres high inside the home.

Prosecutors have launched an investigation to determine whether the house was constructed in an area prone to flooding.

Pino Virga, the mayor of the neighbouring town of Altavilla Milicia, told the SkyTG24 news channel that it could be a case of negligence if inadequate drainage of the river played a role in the deaths.

In total, 17 people have been killed by the storms.

Three people died when their cars were swept away. A 44-year-old politician also died after the car he was travelling was hit by floodwater from the San Leonardo River.

Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte said a German couple were swept away by flood waters near Agrigento, a tourist town known for its ancient Greek temples.

A man's body was also found on a guardrail along a Palermo-area road after floodwaters swept away his car.

Elsewhere in Sicily, at least two other people were missing after floodwaters swept away their cars, including a doctor heading to the hospital in the hill town of Corleone.

In the southern Agrigento province, firefighters rescued 14 people from a hotel in the town of Montevago, which was threatened by floodwaters from the Belice River.

In a tweet on Sunday, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said he was leaving to visit Sicily and that he was also in touch with officials about the situation in the north of the country.

Additional reporting from Associated Press