The detachment of a glacier in the Italian Alps that caused an avalanche and left at least seven people dead was a consequence of environmental degradation and climate change, said this Monday (4) the Prime Minister of Italy, Mario Draghi, during a visit to the region.
The tragedy happened this Sunday in the Marmolada mountain, the largest in the Dolomites chain. Images taken from a nearby shelter show how snow and rock begin to fall from the mountain. Other records show the avalanche dragging everything in its path. At least eight people were injured.
“This tragedy certainly had an element of unpredictability, but it is also undoubtedly related to the degradation of the environment and the climate situation,” said Draghi, who was in the city of Canazei, close to where the cable car to the top of the mountain leaves. glacier.
The prime minister met with first responders who are searching for at least 14 missing persons. But on Monday, the head of rescue services, Giorgio Gajer, admitted that hopes of finding survivors are slim to none. Among the injured, two are in serious condition and in intensive care.
At least three Italians and a Czech were hit by the avalanche and did not survive their injuries, according to local media. The nationalities of the other victims were not released. “We found some mutilated bodies among the pile of ice and debris spread over an area of ​​more than a thousand meters,” said Gino Comelli, who is part of the rescue teams, according to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.
The disaster came the day after the record temperature of 10°C was recorded at the top of the glacier. Helicopters continue to be used in rescue and monitoring operations. Authorities say the area is dangerous for rescuers, who cannot advance on foot.
In line with Mario Draghi, Professor Massimo Frezzotti, from the Department of Sciences at the University of Rome, told AFP that the glacier’s collapse “is a consequence of current climatic conditions, that is, of an anticipated heat episode that coincides with the problem of global warming”.
Pope Francis wrote on Twitter that “the tragedies we are experiencing due to climate change should encourage us to urgently seek new ways that respect people and nature.”
Engineer Stefano Dal Moro was on the glacier with an Israeli friend at the time of the rupture and said it was a miracle they were alive. “We heard a noise and, at that moment, a sea of ​​ice broke free. There was no point in running, just praying,” he told Italian Corriere della Sera.
The Marmolada glacier, nicknamed the “Queen of the Dolomites”, is the largest in the mountain range in northern Italy. The avalanche’s speed was approximately 300 km per hour, according to expert calculations.
According to an IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report released in March, melting ice and snow is one of the top ten threats caused by global warming, disrupting ecosystems and threatening infrastructure. The panel warned that glaciers in Scandinavia, Central Europe and the Caucasus could lose 60% to 80% in mass by the end of this century.
Also on Monday, Italy declared a state of emergency for areas around the Po River, the country’s longest and facing the worst drought in 70 years. The government decree will allow authorities to take immediate action if necessary, such as imposing water rationing for homes or businesses.
The Po River runs over 650 km in northern Italy and has dry stretches. Farmers say the flow is so weak that seawater is seeping inland and destroying crops.
Italy has been recording high temperatures since early June. In Milan, power outages were triggered last month by increased use of air conditioning, affecting sights such as the Duomo, which was left without an elevator to access the top of the cathedral.
