Footage captures toddlers being airlifted from roof of flooded home

Italian firefighters airlifted toddlers to safety from the roof of a house as deadly floods hit the Emilia Romagna region on Thursday, 17 May.

Footage shows the young children being hauled into a helicopter as murky water surrounds a house.

As of Wednesday, at least nine people have been killed and thousands have been evacuated from their homes after torrential rain triggered flooding and landslides in the northern region.

Some areas have received half their average rainfall in just 36 hours, civil protection minister Nello Musumeci said. Click here to sign up for our newsletters.