CANAZEI, Italy, July 4 (Reuters) – Helicopter and drone crews flew over the Italian Alps on Monday in search of 13 people missing after part of a mountain glacier collapsed, killing at least seven people in a disaster related to rising temperatures.
Much of Italy has occurred in an early summer heat wave and scientists said climate change was making previously stable glaciers more difficult to predict. Read more
Sunday’s avalanche took place in the Marmolada, which at more than 3,300 meters is the highest peak in the Dolomites, a mountain range in the eastern Italian Alps straddling the regions of Trento and Veneto.
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Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said the disaster was related to environmental factors.
“Today Italy is mourning for these victims,” Draghi said during a visit to meet the rescue teams.
“But the government needs to think about what has happened and take steps to ensure that what happened is unlikely to happen again or even be avoided,” he added.
Seven people died and two of the eight injured were in serious condition, said Maurizio Fugatti, president of the Trento region.
The summit of Punta Rocca is seen after parts of the Marmolada glacier sank in the Italian Alps amid record temperatures, killing at least six people and injuring several others, on the Marmolada ridge, Italy, on 4 July 2022. REUTERS / Borut Zivulovic
Among the missing were three people from the Czech Republic. An Austrian tourist who had previously been reported missing has now been located, local authorities said.
“This is the first such accident in the history of the mountain,” said Gino Comelli, who was helping coordinate rescue efforts.
The peak was too unstable for rescuers to try to approach on foot, Comelli said, adding that the recent hot weather had been a factor in the collapse.
Pope Francis said he was praying for the victims and their families.
“The tragedies we are experiencing with climate change should urgently force us to seek new avenues that respect people and nature,” he said on Twitter.
Rising average temperatures have caused the Marmolada glacier, like many others around the world, to shrink steadily over the past few decades.
“The collapse of the Marmolada Glacier is a natural disaster directly linked to climate change,” said Poul Christoffersen, a professor of glaciology at Cambridge University.
“High-altitude glaciers like the Marmolada are usually steep and depend on cold temperatures below zero degrees Celsius to keep them stable,” he added.
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Additional report by Emilio Parodi and Angelo Lover; Written by Giulia Segreti and Keith Weir; Edited by Janet Lawrence
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