In a massive glacier break in Italy, several mountaineers were hit by ice, snow and rock masses. The region’s rescue agency says that seven people died. Eight people were injured and others are being sought. Meanwhile, items of clothing were discovered at the scene of the accident.
So far, seven people have been killed and at least seven others injured, some seriously, in a massive glacier collapse in northern Italy. This was announced by the rescue control center of the Veneto region after the accident on Sunday. Initially, there was talk of five fatalities. But the death toll rose to at least six, as a spokeswoman for the Veneto region’s rescue control center confirmed on request. Details of the victims, such as their nationality, were not disclosed.
Because of the danger of new glacier falls, the search for other victims of the accident in the Dolomites on the ground has been interrupted for the time being. As the emergency services announced on Sunday evening, the mountain rescuers were withdrawn from the flank of Mount Marmolada. First of all, it must be clarified how safe the situation is for the helpers. The helicopters continued to operate.
A large chunk of glacier had detached itself from the Marmolada mountain massif and had fallen down into the valley. The normal ascent route to the 3343 meter high mountain, on which several rope teams were currently located, was also hit. two of them were hit.
The rescuers flew a seriously injured person to a hospital in Treviso. Two other injured came to the Belluno hospital, five to Trento. Search and rescue workers had to exercise extreme caution because of the risk that more ice and rockfalls could follow. According to the information, 18 people were above the broken-off point and were waiting to be rescued.
“We heard a loud noise, typical of a rockslide,” an eyewitness told Ansa news agency. “After that, we saw an avalanche of snow and ice falling at high speed towards the valley, and we knew something bad had happened.”
In the avalanche accident in the northern Italian Dolomites, two Germans are likely to be among the mountaineers affected. The Federal Foreign Office assumes this, as a spokeswoman for the German Press Agency said. The two Germans were taken to a hospital in Belluno, the health authorities in the Veneto region announced on Monday. It is therefore a 67-year-old and a 58-year-old.
According to initial information, the two were seriously injured. According to the information, the man was treated in intensive care, the German woman was under “intensive observation”. Whether the two survive is uncertain. Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi wants to travel to the scene of the accident in the afternoon. Meanwhile, a seventh body was recovered.
During the overflights, however, the helpers discovered clothing in the area of the accident site on Tuesday, according to their own statements.
However, it is unclear whether the clothing is from the victims, said a member of the Trentino helicopter unit, as reported by the Ansa news agency on Tuesday. The experts then wanted to check whether and how the clothing could be recovered and whether there might be victims.