In the northern Italian Alps, an avalanche triggered by the collapse of a glacier has claimed the lives of at least seven people.
Officials reported that eight others were injured in the collapse, including two who sustained serious injuries.
Due to bad weather, rescue teams using helicopters and drones have suspended their search for fourteen people still missing.
Premier Mario Draghi of Italy stated that the incident was “without a doubt” related to climate change.
Four of the seven victims have been identified by rescuers, including two mountain guides and three Italians.
A video of the incident revealed an ice mass tumbling down the slopes of Marmolada, the highest mountain in the region.
Michele Canova, a spokeswoman for emergency services, stated, “An avalanche of snow, ice, and rock in its path struck the access road while several roped parties were present; some were swept away.” “The definitive number of climbers involved is currently unknown,” she continued.
The injured hikers, including two in critical condition, were transported to several local hospitals, according to rescue officials.
It is not immediately apparent what caused the collapse of the serac section of the glacier.
However, Walter Milan, a spokesperson for the rescue service, told state television that the region has been experiencing unusually high temperatures in recent days.
Mr. Milan remarked that temperatures at the glacier’s summit have risen to 10 degrees Celsius in recent days and described the heat as atypical.
“This is extreme heat,” he declared. Something is abnormal.
The Italian prime minister attributed a portion of the glacier’s collapse to climate change.
Mr. Draghi stated, “This tragedy had an element of unpredictability, but it is also directly related to the deterioration of the environment and the climate situation.”
During his visit to the region, he also stated that the government would take steps to prevent a similar tragedy from occurring again.
We do not yet know what caused the catastrophic collapse of the Marmolada glacier, but climate change is almost certainly a factor.
The climate of the Alps is rapidly changing. It is estimated that temperatures have increased by approximately 2°C, which is twice the global average.
This is causing the retreat of Alpine glaciers. It is estimated that they have lost half of their ice volume since 1850, and the rate of ice loss has accelerated significantly since the late 1980s.
As glaciers recede, they can become unstable and endanger the people living below them, especially high-elevation glaciers such as the Marmolada, which are frequently located on steep slopes and rely on sub-zero temperatures to stay in place.
According to Paul Christoffersen, professor of glaciology at the University of Cambridge, catastrophic glacier collapses are increasing in frequency.
The shifting ice of the high Alps demonstrates once again how climate change is altering our landscape and risks in ways that scientists have yet to fully comprehend.
Prof. Jonathan Bamber, director of the Glaciology Centre at the University of Bristol, stated that the Dolomite mountains in Italy, where the avalanche occurred, endured a snowless winter due to a drought.
“Combined with the region’s unusually high summer temperatures, glaciers are melting rapidly,” he said.
According to him, the detached section was part of a “hanging glacier with seracs or ice cliffs that become especially unstable in warm conditions, such as those in the Dolomites right now.”
