Eight people who went missing after part of a glacier displaced in the Italian Alps on Sunday have been safely found, bringing some relief to rescue workers searching for survivors, Italian media reported on Tuesday.
At least seven people were killed in an avalanche on Sunday at Marmolada, the highest peak in the Dolomites, which encompasses the Trento and Veneto regions of the eastern Italian Alps.
“When we arrived, we saw a disaster, we realized the extent of this huge avalanche,” said Stefano Coter, head of the local alpine rescue team and one of the first to arrive.
“We found the injured and other people who died in need of help,” he said.
Much of Italy is experiencing an early summer heatwave, and scientists say climate change is making it harder to predict stable glaciers in advance.
With the summit still shaky, rescuers are using drones and helicopters to search for victims or try to locate them using cell phone signals. Crews found remains or climbing equipment at three or four sites on Tuesday.
There were fears the death toll could rise too much, with 13 more still missing on Tuesday morning, but that number fell to five missing during the day.
Seven people on the missing list have already been located, Ansa news agency reported. Since Sunday’s crash, an Italian, also missing, was being treated for his injuries at a hospital in the city of Treviso, near Venice.
The mayor of Canazei, Giovanni Bernard, said the Marmolada will remain closed to tourists for the time being to allow rescuers to work.
source: Noticias
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