Calabria communities face isolation after landslides damage key roads

Severe weather and landslides in the Aspromonte region of Calabria have caused significant road damage, leaving several communities, including Roccaforte del Greco, largely isolated. The damage to provincial roads SP23, SP183, and SP3 has compromised vital links between Melito Porto Salvo, San Lorenzo, Bagaladi, and Roccaforte del Greco.

Local officials have raised alarms regarding public safety. In one instance, a bus driver narrowly avoided a serious accident on the SP3 near San Lorenzo when the vehicle nearly plunged into a ravine. Mayors Sandro Polimeni of San Lorenzo and Ercole Nucera of Roccaforte del Greco have both criticized years of insufficient maintenance, arguing that the vulnerability of the territory is a result of neglect rather than just extreme weather.

The isolation poses risks to vulnerable populations, particularly the elderly, due to limited access to medical services, pharmacies, and food supplies. Local leadership is calling on the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria and the Calabria Region to declare a state of natural disaster and implement urgent structural interventions to prevent further landslides and ensure safe transit.