An avalanche caused the deaths of seven people after a glacier broke down in the Dolomite mountains in Italy on 3 July.
Two people sustained serious injuries and are recovering in hospitals in the area. There are still 13 people missing. Italy’s Prime Minister, Mario Draghi said the collapse of the glacier was due to climate change, reports the BBC.
The glacier collapsed on Mount Marmolada, the highest mountain of the Dolomite range. Picture: Wikimedia Commons / Marco Bonomo
The mountain range is popular for rock climbing and hiking. ‘An avalanche of snow, ice and rock which in its path hit the access road when there were several roped parties, some of which were swept away,’ emergency services spokesperson Michela Canova said. ‘The definitive number of mountaineers involved is not yet known.’
Italy recorded unusually high temperatures in recent weeks, but the glacier on Marmolada has been receding fast over the past few years. A study published in 2019 found the glacier shrunk by 30% between 2004 and 2015.
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A video taken during the avalanche was shared on Twitter:
BREAKING NEWS : In a record temperature of 10°C at 3000m in altitude, a serac collapsed on the #Marmolada glacier (Dolomites), along the normal route to the Punta Rocca summit
The death toll is currently 6 and 8 injured#Italypic.twitter.com/0QMKkUGg5R— MONTAUD Andre pro (@MontaudPro) July 3, 2022
Picture: Screenshot from Twitter
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