While the landslide has not yet stopped, Musumeci announced “the suspension of mortgage payments”. Tajani: «Italy will ask for help from the European Solidarity Fund»
While over 1,300 people had to say goodbye to their homes after the landslide in Niscemi swept away buildings, cars and memories, the Minister for Civil Protection and Maritime Policies, Nello Musumeci, announced that he will propose “an administrative investigation”. The objective is also to understand the reasons for the lack of interventions after the 1997 landslide.
The administrative investigation
With the certainty that “the phenomenon has been underestimated over time”, Musumeci, who will report to the Chamber on February 4, announced to Rainews 24 that he will propose “an administrative investigation into what happened in Niscemi”. The objective is “to understand what happened” also because “perhaps, if we had intervened in 1997 we could not have avoided what is happening, but slowed down the process”. The minister therefore set up “a group of geologists and experts” so that “in 15 days” they can also evaluate “what will happen in Niscemi in a month, a year, ten years”. The priority is in fact also “to understand whether the phenomenon, over time, could involve other areas of the town centre”.
«No non-compliance» on the part of the Municipality
In the last few hours it has emerged that since the landslide of 13 October 1997, the consolidation and prevention projects remained on the table, without ever having been implemented. The last official act of the Region, in chronological order, dates back to August 2025. But it also seems that out of 46 projects financed by the Pnrr to combat hydrogeological instability in the Sicilian territory, not even one was allocated to Niscemi. Meanwhile, the mayor Massimiliano Conti defended the actions of the Sicilian municipality: «I have a folder on my computer, the offices have the documentation. Furthermore, on each anniversary of the 1997 landslide I sent a letter to the President of the Republic, the President of the Region, the Prime Minister and the heads of departments. Furthermore, only in December 2025 did we obtain the money expected in phase 2 and 3 of the landslide 29 years ago, so we worked on it.”
The new areas in which to build and the aid
With the aim of finding areas where displaced people can start their lives again, Musumeci announced that in the next few days he will meet “the mayor to identify the new area where to build” assuring that “the money is there”. He then communicated to the microphones of Rlt 102.5 that “there is a suspension of payment of mortgage installments and any other obligations”. He also added that he is working “with colleague Calderone to identify which and how many shock absorbers are needed to lift those companies, now inactive, which should pay contributions for workers”.
The European Solidarity Fund
The vice president of the EU Commission, Raffaele Fitto, promised “maximum commitment” in order to “guarantee effective and concrete support to offer timely responses to the communities” affected by Hurricane Harry, also explaining “the tools that the Commission makes available”. And in this regard, shortly afterwards, the Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani confirmed that Italy will ask for “help from the European Solidarity Fund” for Sicily, Calabria and Sardinia. Now, the minister specified, “the analyzes and data from the civil protection must be prepared”.
The situation of the displaced
1,309 displaced persons are registered in the Civil Protection lists. At the moment, almost everyone has moved to the homes of family and friends rather than to the facilities that the Municipality has made available. In the meantime, the firefighters carried out 300 interventions in the buildings located in the red zone in Niscemi, recovering animals and objects. “People ask to be able to take the most expensive things they have,” said the technical officer of the Caltanissetta fire brigade, Francesco Turco. Who continued, saying: «We recovered dogs, cats, parrots. Many need to take clothes, but also objects that are precious to them from an emotional point of view, such as paintings and family photographs.”
The landslide is still active
The landslide continues to threaten the territory. This was reported by both the mayor Massimiliano Conti and the head of the Civil Protection department Fabio Ciciliano. «We cannot assume that the landslide has stopped. Monitoring is underway even if the weather conditions, with the rain yesterday and today, are not helping us” Conti announced. What the mayor said was also confirmed by Ciciliano, who underlined: «The landslide is still active» therefore «the buffer zone of 150 meters, as the landslide front continues to fall, retreats towards the city center». The general secretary of the Basin Authority of the Sicily hydrographic district, Leonardo Santoro, then stated that tomorrow he will order “by decree the extension of the risk area” of “approximately 25 square kilometres”. And in this area “an absolute ban on building construction will be imposed”.
«Many houses will no longer be able to be inhabited”
The unanimous opinion is that “many houses will no longer be able to be inhabited”. Musumeci said it. Recalling that “the landslide created a ravine of over 50 metres” affecting “an entire neighbourhood”, he specified: “We don’t know how far the line of the landslide could extend. The technicians suggested 150 meters. In 150 meters for another 4 meters in width, there are hundreds of houses involved in the red zone.” The same vision was shared by the president of the National Council of Geologists, Roberto Troncarelli. He declared to Rai 1 that there are no technical solutions that can guarantee “definitive stabilization of the slope”. Ergo Niscemi must not be rebuilt in the areas at risk, but must be “delocalised”.
