At least six people were killed on Sunday when a mountain glacier collapsed in Italy’s Alps.
A handout photo by Alpine Rescue Services shows an ice glacier collapsed on Mount Marmolada (Photo: Reuters)
Part of a mountain glacier in the Italian Alps collapsed on Sunday amid record temperatures, killing at least six people and injuring eight, local officials said.
The Trento provincial government said rescue operations were continuing after a large “snow avalanche” that involved pedestrians said there was likely to be a “heavy toll”.
The avalanche occurred on Marmolada, the highest mountain in the Dolomites at more than 3,300 m, a range in the eastern Italian Alps that extends into the regions of Trento and Veneto.
Veneto President Luca Zia said the injured were taken to hospitals in the nearby cities of Belluno, Treviso, Trento and Bolzano.
A huge mass of snow fell near Punta Rocca, a route usually used by climbers and climbers to reach the summit, the alpine rescue unit said.
“Fortunately, the weather conditions are good but the danger is that there could be further devastation,” a spokesman said.
Zia said temperatures in Marmolada reached 10 degrees Celsius (50 Fahrenheit) on Saturday at the start of summer in Italy.
Rising average temperatures have caused the Marmolada Glacier, like many others around the world, to shrink steadily in recent decades.