ROME - The death toll of the strong storms that struck Italy's western island of Sardinia rose to 16 on Tuesday while one person was still missing, local reports said.

An entire family of Brazilians residing in northern Sardinia was killed when the basement in which they lived was flooded by the water and all the occupants - two children aged 16 and 20, father and mother - remained trapped and drowned.

Among the victims there were a small kid and a police who was transporting an injured along with three other colleagues when their car plunged off a bridge due to strong torrential rains.

A mother and her daughter were found dead inside their car which was swept away by the water, while an elderly woman drowned in her flooded home. According to ANSA news agency, a man was still missing nearly the northern city of Olbia.

Major traffic disruptions caused by floods and landslides delayed flights, trains and ferries in several areas of the island.

Thousands of people were forced to temporarily leave their homes and move to hotels or other places, while police were at work to avoid collapse of dozens of flooded buildings.