Tourists have no longer been allowed to go ashore on the popular Italian Mediterranean island of Capri since Saturday morning after a cut to its water supply.
The ban follows a fault in the water pipe that supplies Capri with water from the mainland, which means the island's supply has collapsed.
At present, only Capri residents are allowed to enter the island,according to an order issued by the mayor. In this emergency situation, Capri has no water supplies that can meet the needs of residents and tourists, the mayor said.
At present, the water supply is still guaranteed in most parts of the island in the Gulf of Naples, but this is only from local water reservoirs, which are in danger of running out without supplies from the mainland.
This emergency situation would be exacerbated by the daily influx of thousands of tourists, the mayor's order continued. In isolated areas in the west of Capri, there is already no more water.
At the harbours on the mainland, the halt in tourist arrivals had immediate consequences. Following the mayor's order, ticket sales for the ferries were cancelled immediately, the ANSA news agency reported.
Ships that had already left for Capri were asked by the authorities to return. Long queues formed at the ticket counters in Naples and Sorrento.
On Thursday, the main water pipeline in the municipality of Castellammare di Stabia in the southern Italian region of Campania broke down. The pipeline supplies Capri and the Sorrento peninsula.
Although the repair work had been completed on schedule, technical problems had occurred again, according to the water supplier Gori. As a result, the water supply is still interrupted. Work is continuing to rectify the problems and restore the supply. - dpa
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
