Among the dead are six men and four women, the agency said. A further six people were injured, including a child, the spokesman said.
Rescue operations started immediately after a small stream near the village of Civita overflowed at 5:30 p.m. local time, he said.
The operations are still underway in the flooded canyon area, as at least three more people remain missing. So far, 23 people have been rescued.
More than a hundred emergency rescuers are searching for survivors, the spokesman said, adding that the number of people missing is unknown.
The search for survivors will continue through the night, the head of Civil Protection Calabria, Carlo Tansi, told Rai.
According to Rai, rescuers are hopeful that some hikers may have found refuge from the floodwater on rocky ledges in the gorge.
The largely rural province covers the “toe” of Italy, and is the southernmost part of the the Italian mainland.
Source : Nbcnewyork