Mudslides covered streets in the town of Bitti in Italy’s Sardinia after the area was struck by a storm on Saturday.

The small town in the Nuoro province was hit with heavy rains that caused powerful mudslides which covered the streets of the city centre.

A bridge collapsed and the main square in front the town hall became engulfed in mud.

Cars were also badly damaged with many becoming stuck.

The Italian Civil Defence declared a red weather alert for Sardinia on Saturday and Sunday.

Rescuers on Sunday retrieved the body of an elderly woman, the third fatality in Bitti.

The Italian news agency LaPresse said that the body of the 89-year-old victim had washed downhill from near her home to the town basketball court.

On Saturday, the bodies of two others were found. One was a rancher who was caught up in the raging muddy waters on his way home, while the other was a 90-year-old man in his home.