A church in Sicily has been destroyed by wildfires.

All that remains of St Benedict the Moor in Palermo is some burnt rubble and a burnt crucifix after the fire reached the convent of 'Santa Maria di Gesu'.

Brother Vincenzo Bruccoleri who is the superior friar of the convent said :

"The convent of Santa Maria in Gesu went up in smoke because it was involved in a fire that broke out in the nearby mountain. The damage is enormous, and we literally lost the church. But on the other hand, we are happy no one was injured."

Italy's southern island of Sicily has been devastated by wildfires that have killed three elderly people, its regional president said, as a heatwave and severe storms further north took a heavy toll.

The charred bodies of a couple in their 70s were found in their burnt-out home on the outskirts of Palermo, the regional capital, according to Italian media reports.

Another woman in her late 80s died in the Palermo province after an ambulance was unable to reach her home due to fires in the area.