ROME (AFP) - Bridges were swept away and villages hit by mudslides and floodwater in Italys Tuscany and Liguria regions on Wednesday during torrential downpours that killed five, officials said. Previous reports had put the number of dead at nine. Up to 500 millimetres (20 inches) of rain fell in just a few hours overnight Tuesday to Wednesday, according to weather reports. Around 10 people were reported missing. The areas worst hit were the Spezia region and the picturesque Five Lands tourist destination, where three people died. Two bodies were also recovered from a mountainous region in northern Tuscany. A 50-year-old woman and an elderly couple from the village of Borghetto were swept to their deaths in a river of mud, according to authorities in La Spezia. Another young woman was swept along for over a kilometre but was later found exhausted and in a state of shock. The situation was becoming serious, said the leader of Ligurias first aid and rescue service, Renata Briano, especially since we 77dont have any news of what is happening in some isolated areas. The director of Italys first aid and rescue service, Franco Gabrielli, said: Right now the priority is getting to people before nightfall. Authorities were working to get basic services back on as in some areas there was no electricity, water, gas and communications are difficult, he said.