One firefighter dead, three plane passengers missing as storms batter Italy

ROME, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The body of a firefighter was found on Wednesday in southern Italy after the vehicle he was driving was swept away by a flash flood on Tuesday, authorities have announced. It is the latest in a series of tragedies connected to ongoing extreme weather in Italy.

Meanwhile, a small private airplane headed to France from Modena in north-central Italy was lost in intense fog over the Apennine Mountains on Wednesday, according to news reports. Officials are searching on land and via helicopter for the aircraft and its three passengers, although a lack of visibility is making operations difficult.