Rome, Sep 20 (IANS): Emergency crews are searching for two people missing amid flash floods in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, while thousands of others were evacuated as rivers burst their banks and flooded multiple towns on Thursday.

The region, which includes the cities of Bologna and Modena, has been hit hard by Storm Boris, the intense weather system that left at least 24 people dead in central Europe, Xinhua news agency reported.

Officials called on people to seek refuge on the upper floors of buildings, while schools, government offices, and hundreds of roads were closed and train service in the region was suspended.

The two missing people were on the roof of a building in the town of Bagnacavallo, near the coastal city of Ravenna, after the Lamone River flooded the town and the rooftop they were on collapsed. Other people in the area were airlifted off rooftops by helicopter.

Emilia-Romagna is the same Italian region hit by a major flood last year, which killed 17 people and caused an estimated 8.5 billion euros ($9.5 billion) in damage.