At least eight people have been found alive after the collapse of the Marmolada glacier in Italy. The heat could be a factor in this dramatic mountain accident.
Eight people missing after part of a glacier in the Dolomites collapsed in Italy on Sunday have been found safe, Italian media reported on Tuesday.
“We saw a catastrophe”
Five other people have not yet been located. At least seven people were killed in the avalanche that struck the Marmolada glacier two days ago, more than 3,300 meters above the highest peak in the Dolomites in the Italian Alps. “When we arrived we saw a catastrophe, we grasped the extent of this huge avalanche,” said Stefano Coter, leader of the local alpine rescue team and one of the first people to reach the site.
“We found injured people who needed help and others who were dead,” he added. Italy is currently experiencing an early summer heat wave. According to the President of the Veneto Region, Luca Zaia, temperatures on the Marmolada reached ten degrees Celsius on Saturday. Rescuers searched for victims with drones and helicopters or tried to locate them using cell phone signals. Teams found human remains or climbing gear in three or four locations on Tuesday.
La Marmolada remains closed to tourists for the time being to allow rescue workers to intervene, said Giovanni Bernard, the mayor of the city of Canazei.