Rescue teams scan mountains for missing after Italian glacier falls

KANAZI, Italy, July 4 (Reuters) – Helicopter crews and drones flew in the Italian Alps on Monday in search of 13 people who went missing after falling off a part of a mountain glacier, and Disaster experts have linked at least seven people to the rise in temperature.

Much of Italy is warming up in the heat wave in early summer and scientists say climate change has made it difficult to predict previously stable glaciers. read more

Sunday’s blizzard occurred in Marmolda, the highest peak of the Dolomites at more than 3,300 meters, a series in the eastern Italian Alps extending to the Toronto and Vento regions.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said the disaster was linked to environmental factors.

“Today Italy is crying for these victims,” ​​Draghi said during a meeting with rescue teams.

He added: “But the government should think about what happened and take steps to ensure that what happened is not likely to happen again or can even be prevented.”

Seven people have been killed and two of the eight injured are in critical condition, Toronto Regional President Maurizio Fogatti said.

Three people from the Czech Republic are among the unaccounted for. An Austrian tourist who had previously been reported missing has now been found, local officials said.

“This is the first such accident in the history of the mountain,” said Gino Komali, who helped coordinate the rescue effort.

Comelli said the peak was too unstable for rescuers to try to walk, adding that the recent hot weather was a factor in the crash.

Pope Francis said he prays for the victims and their families.

“The tragedy we are experiencing with climate change must urgently force us to pursue new ways to respect people and nature,” he said on Twitter.

The rise in average temperatures has caused the Marmolda Glacier, like many others in the world, to decline steadily in recent decades.

“The fall of the Marmolda Glacier is a natural disaster that is directly linked to climate change,” said Paul Christopherson, a professor of glaciology at Cambridge University.

He added, “High-altitude glaciers like Marmolda are often fast and rely on cold temperatures below zero degrees Celsius to maintain stability.”

Additional Reporting by Emilio Parody and Angelo Amanat; Written by Giulia Segreti and Keith Weir Edited by Janet Lawrence

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