The collapse of part of the Marmolada glacier, the largest in the Italian Alps, is closely linked to global warming, the Italian prime minister confirmed on Monday, the day after the disaster that killed at least seven and injured eight .
A drama linked “undoubtedly” to “the deterioration of the environment and the climatic situation”.
Fourteen people are also reported missing by their families, but their presence when the glacier broke has not been confirmed. Among the injured are two Germans, a 67-year-old man and a 58-year-old woman, who remain in serious condition.
The disaster, which occurred the day after a record temperature of 10C at the top of the glacier amid an early heatwave in the Italian peninsula, is “undoubtedly” linked to “the deterioration of the environmental and climatic situation,” explained Monday before location Mario Draghiwho expressed his “support” for the families of the victims.
Chances of finding survivors ‘almost zero’
Rescuers deployed drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras in hopes of locating survivors in the mass of ice and fallen rocks, the mayor of the city of Canazei told AFP. John Bernhard. “These are dangerous conditions for the rescuers” who cannot advance on foot.
The chances of finding survivors are “almost zero,” warned the head of the region’s mountain rescue service. Giorgio Gajerat the agency AGI.
Only three of the seven victims have been identified, but their nationalities have not been disclosed by authorities.
Accelerated Melting and IPCC Warnings
The glacier collapsed near the village of Punta Rocca, along the route normally taken to reach its summit.
The tragedy “is the consequence of the current meteorological conditions, that is to say an episode of early heat coinciding with the problem of global warming,” the professor explained to AFP Massimo Frezzottifrom the Department of Science at Roma Tre University.
Continue reading
“The melting has accelerated in the Alps. We experienced an extremely dry winter with a precipitation deficit of 40 to 50%. The current glacier conditions correspond to mid-August, not early July,” says the searcher.
“Unfortunately, due to these very high temperatures, a pool of water formed under the glacier, which caused the collapse,” he told AFP news agency. Paul Talmon, 56, owner of the Marmolada Glacier Inn. “I’ve lived here for 50 years and this is the first time I’ve seen this.”
IPCC warnings
Footage filmed from a shelter near the disaster shows debris from the glacier mixed with rocks tumbling down the slopes of the mountain with a crashing sound at 300 km/h, according to local authorities. Other pictures taken by tourists with their cellphones show the avalanche’s gray tongue from afar, sweeping away everything in its path and leaving climbers no chance.
In images sent by the Alpine Rescue Service, we can see rescuers working near the scene of the accident, over which helicopters fly to transport the victims down the valley to the village of Canazei, not far from the site of from which the cable car leads to the top of the glacier.
The Marmolada Glacier, also known as the “Queen of the Dolomites”, is the largest glacier in this mountain range of northern Italy, which is part of the Alps. Located in Trentino, it springs from the Avisio River and overlooks Lake Fedaia.
According to the report of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published on March 1st, melting ice and snow is one of the top 10 threats caused by global warming, disrupting ecosystems and threatening certain infrastructure.
The Giec indicates that the glaciers are in Scandinaviain Central Europe and in the Caucasus could lose 60 to 80% of their mass by the end of the century.
VIDEO – Glacier, the spectacular collapse