© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Tesla CEO Elon Musk leaves the company’s local office in Washington, US January 27, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo
MILAN (Reuters) – The Italian insurer said on Saturday that SpaceX and Elon Musk’s Unipol Grupo have agreed to join forces to help people affected by floods in northern Italy get online, facilitating rescue operations.
Torrential rains devastated the eastern side of Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, killing 14 people, causing billions of euros in damage and hitting agriculture particularly badly.
About 36,000 people were forced to leave their homes, and many who remained in flooded areas were also left without electricity. Rescue efforts were hampered by persistent bad weather and disturbances to the telephone lines
Under the agreement, Unipol will acquire SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet terminals and will provide them to rescue workers, hospitals and the public. SpaceX is positioning its satellites to prioritize the Emilia-Romagna region and to provide improved coverage.
“SpaceX, Starlink and Tesla (NASDAQ) are pleased to be helpful in any way to help Italy and the people affected by the floods,” Musk said in a statement.