A car is partially submerged in mud following the heavy rain in Messina
At least five people have died and more are missing after heavy rain triggered mudslides in the Italian city of Messina in southern Sicily.
The violent mudslides and flooding destroyed several buildings, swept away cars and blocked road and rail links.
Italian authorities are afraid the number of casualties could rise, the AP news agency reported.
Rescue dogs were being used in the search for survivors, Messina Mayor Giuseppe Buzzanca told Italy's Sky TV.
He added that the rescue efforts were being hampered because some areas were only reachable by foot.
More than 100 people left their homes when the mudslides struck, officials said.
At least a dozen people are believed to have been taken to hospital following the overnight storm.
At least thirteen people have been killed after torrential rains caused mudslides in Italy on Friday.

City of MessinaThe mudslides occurred in the city of Messina, located in the northern part of Sicily. The mud blocked rails and road, cut off communications, and destroyed several buildings.

Search and rescue teams were using dogs to locate survivors buried beneath the rubble. Around forty people were hospitalised.

"Most of the dead and seriously injured were in two buildings that collapsed in mudslides," emergency services spokesman Giampiero Gliubizzi told the Agence France-Presse news agency.

Over one hundred people were forced to evacuate when mudslides threatened their homes, officials said. Some escaped onto roofs, where they were airlifted by helicopters.

"I didn't understand what was happening. I was at home and everything started moving.  Then I found myself surrounded by rubble," said a survivor.  Witness reports suggest the depth of the mud reached seven metres (23 feet)  in some areas.