Floods and mudslides invaded the province of Messina on the Italian island of Sicily earlier this month not only killing 24 people but also leaving environmental victims. Italian officials blamed the ferocity of the storm, which unleashed some 25 centimeters (nine inches) of rain in just three hours, but they also acknowledged that deforestation and unregulated development had weakened the soil and contributed to the mudslides.

The disaster has prompted environmentalists to step up their campaign against illegal construction which is rampant throughout Italy. Even the Italian President Giorgio Napolitano denounced the illegal construction, which he said had caused ''widespread'' disruption in Messina's topography.

Report: Stephanie Raison