Ferry runs ashore due to bad weather in southern Italy

A ferry transporting hydrocarbons has run ashore near Italy's southern city of Naples amid rough weather, local reports said on Tuesday.

The ferry was exiting the port of Casamicciola on the island of Ischia, off the Naples coast, when strong winter winds made it run ashore.

A tug boat sent from Naples failed to pull the ferry off the sandbank. The local coastal guard was at work to analyze the sea bed's situation with the help of divers, ANSA news agency said.

Freezing temperature and heavy precipitation have caused disruption and damage in southern Italy over the last few days.

Snow whitened the center of Naples, also covering the summit and slopes of nearby Mount Vesuvius.

Schools were ordered to stay close in nearby regions of Basilicata and Molise, where temperatures went down to minus eight and firefighters intervened to help many citizens in trouble.

Traffic was disrupted by ice on highways and salt trucks were unrelentingly scattering salt to prevent accidents from happening.

According to the weather forecast, weather conditions will improve in the coming days but worsen again at the weekend. Endit