Alps Glacier Collapse Kills Seven Amid Record Temperatures
At least six people were killed and 15 were missing after a glacial ice shelf collapsed in the northern Italian Alps.
(Bloomberg) -- At least seven people were killed and 14 are missing after a glacial ice shelf collapsed in the northern Italian Alps amid higher-than-usual temperatures.
At least 26 people were caught in an avalanche Sunday at 1:30 p.m. local time, as a chunk of glacier broke loose on top of the Marmolada, the highest peak in the Dolomites range.
Eight injured people were taken to hospitals around the area, while 18 people were rescued unharmed, according to a report sent by the government.
The disaster struck one day after a record high temperature of 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) was recorded at the glacier’s summit. The collapse is being viewed as one of the consequences of global warming as regions of Italy have experienced the worst drought in 70 years.
“The Marmolada glacier collapse is a natural disaster linked directly to climate change,” said Poul Christoffersen, professor in glaciology at the University of Cambridge. “High elevation glaciers, such as the Marmolada, are often steep and relying on cold temperatures below zero degrees Celsius to keep them stable. But climate change means more and more meltwater.”
Scorching temperatures have swept across parts of Europe, with many areas in Italy recording all-time records for heat in June. Several cities have exceeded 40 degrees Celsius in the last few weeks.
Prime Minister Mario Draghi traveled to the avalanche area on Monday to check on rescue activities.
This is a tragedy that “certainly depends on the deterioration of the environment and the climatic situation,” Draghi said on the sideline of a meeting with rescuers and local authorities at Canazei, in Trentino region, where a rescue operation center has been set. The government must reflect and take measures to make sure similar events have “a very low probability of happening or can even be avoided,” he said.
The government declared a state of emergency in five regions that have been heavily hit by drought in recent weeks, Ansa newswire reported.
(Updates last paragraph with state of emergency declared in five regions.)
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