CANACEI, Italy, July 4 (Reuters) – Helicopter and drone crews flew over the Italian Alps on Monday in search of 14 people missing after part of a mountain glacier collapsed, killing at least seven people in a disaster that experts linked to rising are temperatures.
Much of Italy was baking in an early summer heatwave, and scientists said climate change was making previously stable glaciers harder to predict. Read more
Sunday’s avalanche hit Marmolada, which at more than 3,300 meters is the highest peak in the Dolomites, a chain in the eastern Italian Alps that crosses the Trento and Veneto regions.
Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
I am registering
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said the disaster was linked to environmental factors.
“Today Italy is crying for these victims,” Draghi said during a visit to meet with rescue teams.
“But the government needs to reflect on what happened and take steps to ensure that what happened is unlikely to happen again or even avoidable,” he added.
Seven people were killed and two of the eight injured were in serious condition, said Maurizio Fugatti, president of the Trento region.
Punta Rocca peak is seen after parts of the Marmolada glacier collapsed in the Italian Alps in record temperatures, killing at least six people and injuring several, on the Marmolada ridge, Italy July 4, 2022. REUTERS/Borut Živulović
An Austrian and three people from the Czech Republic are among the 14 people missing.
“This is the first incident like this in the history of the mountain,” said Gino Comelli, who was helping coordinate the rescue effort.
The peak was too unstable for rescuers to attempt to approach on foot, Comelli said, adding that the recent hot weather was 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 must force us to urgently seek new ways that respect people and nature,” he said on Twitter.
Rising average temperatures have caused the Marmolada Glacier, like many others around the world, to steadily shrink in recent decades.
“The collapse of the Marmolada Glacier is a natural disaster directly linked to climate change,” said Paul Christophersen, professor of glaciology at the University of Cambridge.
“High altitude glaciers like Marmolada are often steep and rely on sub-zero temperatures to keep them stable,” he added.
Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
I am registering
Additional reporting by Emilio Parodi and Angelo Amante; Written by Julia Segretti and Keith Weir; Editing by Janet Lawrence
Our standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Add Comment