Italian island hit by tourist ban after mayor issues crisis order

The move created long lines of passengers at ticket offices at the ports of the southern city of Naples

A picture shows a path to a small bay on Capri island in the Italian Gulf of Naples (AFP via Getty Images)

A water emergency prompted the mayor of one of Italy’s most popular tourist islands to order a halt to the arrival of tourists over the weekend.

The crisis on Capri deprived some areas of any water supply.

The emergency was caused by a failure in the mainland’s water system that provides vital supplies to the island. On Saturday evening the ban had been revoked.

Without a water supply it is impossible to guarantee essential services to “thousands of people” who travel to the island daily during the tourist season, mayor Paolo Falco said on Saturday morning.

“The health and hygiene situation is explosive, we have taken our countermeasures and activated the crisis unit and issued a restrictive order,” the mayor’s order said.

Only local reservoirs supply the network, which in the absence of supplies from the mainland risks being run out.

The mayor’s order was notified shortly after 9am local time on Saturday, causing an immediate stop to ticket sales. They resumed later that day.

The move created long lines of passengers at ticket offices at the ports of the southern city of Naples, the departing point for most ferries to Capri.

Ferries and hydrofoils that had already departed for Capri were contacted by radio by the maritime authorities, which ordered their return to port and disembarkation of passengers.

Firefighters try to extinguish the fire burning in Koropi suburb, eastern part of Athens, Wednesday, June 19, 2024 (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Meanwhile, in Greece hundreds of firefighters struggled on Saturday to contain wildfires fanned by gale force winds on two islands and in other parts of the country, as authorities warned many regions face a high risk of new blazes.

More than 30 firefighters backed by two aircraft and five helicopters were battling a wildfire burning οn the island of Andros in the Aegean, away from tourist resorts, where four communities were evacuated as a precaution.

“More firefighters (are) expected on the island later in the day,” a fire services official told Reuters, adding there were no reports of damage or injuries.

Wildfires are common in Greece but they have become more devastating in recent years amid hotter and drier summers that scientists link to climate change. A wildfire near Athens last week forced dozens to flee their homes, which authorities said they believed was the result of arson as well as the hot, dry conditions.

Meteorologists say the latest fires are the first time that the country has experienced “hot-dry-windy” conditions so early in the summer.