Aerials images shot by the Italian fire brigade on Saturday (November 26) show the extent of the damage on the southern island of Ischia, after a landslide left mud-soaked streets and engulfed buildings.

A woman was found dead and around 10 people were still missing on the southern Italian holiday island of Ischia after a landslide engulfed buildings during heavy rain on Saturday, a local Italian government official said.

Torrential rain hit the port of Casamicciola Terme, one of the six small towns on the island, in the early hours, triggering flooding and bringing down buildings.

"Currently the confirmed death toll is one, a woman. Eight missing persons have been found, including a child, and there still are around 10 missing," the prefect of Naples, Claudio Palomba, told a news conference.

Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini said earlier during an event in Milan that eight people had been killed.

Seventy firefighters are working on the island, which lies some 30 km (19 miles) from Naples, to rescue residents from damaged buildings and search for missing persons, Italy's fire brigade said on Twitter.

Images showed thick mud, debris and stones in Casamicciola Terme. Several cars were submerged on the shoreline, apparently pushed into the sea by the storm.

Ischia is a volcanic island around 30 km (19 miles) from Naples that draws visitors to its thermal baths and picturesque coastline. It is densely populated and has a large number of illegally built houses, putting inhabitants at permanent risk from flooding and earthquakes.