Glacier chunk strikes hikers climbing in the Dolomites: At least seven dead and 14 missing on Italian mountain
Authorities say 14 people remain unaccounted for, after the partial collapse of a mountain glacier.
Monday 4 July 2022 17:21, UK
At least seven people hiking along a popular Alpine trail in northeastern Italy were killed on Sunday when a large chunk of glacier broke loose.
For the latest on this story as the search for those missing continues, click or tap here.
The avalanche of ice, snow and rock slammed into a group hiking in the Dolomites, leaving eight other people injured, including two in a serious condition, according to authorities.
Regional leader, Maurizio Fugatti, said 14 remained unaccounted for: 10 Italians, three from the Czech Republic and one from Austria. But thunderstorms have hampered the search for them.
Italian prime minister Mario Draghi said the avalanche was linked to climate change.
He expressed "the most sincere, affectionate, heartfelt closeness" to the victims' families, and demanded action be taken so such a tragedy does not happen again.
"This is a drama that certainly has some unpredictability," Mr Draghi said, echoing several experts who said an avalanche triggered by a glacier's break-up could not be forecast.
But what happened "certainly depends on environmental deterioration and the climate situation", the premier said.
Rescue services said those who were hurt were flown to several hospitals in the regions of Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto.
Veneto governor Luca Zaia said those in hospital included two Germans and a 40-year-old patient yet to be identified.
Helicopters and rescue dogs were involved in the search around the area of the Marmolada peak, according to the National Alpine and Cave Rescue Corps.
At over 3,300m Marmolada is the highest peak in the Dolomites.
It was not immediately clear what caused the section of ice to break away and rush down the peak's slope.
However the intense heatwave gripping Italy since late June could be a factor, Mr Milan told RAI state TV.
"The heat is unusual," Mr Milan said, noting that temperatures in recent days on the peak had topped 10C.
"That's extreme heat" for the peak, Mr Milan said. "Clearly it's something abnormal."
Glacier collapse another warning climate change is hitting the planet now
The Marmolada glacier collapse is a natural danger, in this case, directly linked to climate change - so say climate scientists.
How can they already be so sure?
The steep section of the Marmolada that gave way relies on sub-zero temperatures to keep it stable.
Hotter temperatures driven by human-induced climate change melt ice into water, triggering instability and collapses.
Glaciers around the world are now melting at unprecedented rates and are likely to continue shrinking well into the 22nd Century.
Scorching heat has tormented northern Italy already this summer. Temperatures around the Marmolada recently reached a staggering 10C, and many other areas set June or all-time records for heat.
The Mediterranean country is also suffering one of its worst droughts in decades, triggering water rationing and sparking fears of an agricultural "catastrophe".
It is a net exporter of food, and its northern mountains and lakes together attract visitors year-round.
The manifold impacts are a warning to anyone who thinks the impacts of climate change are distant in time or geography. They are here and now.