2022 Marmolada serac collapse: Difference between revisions
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== Background == |
== Background == |
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Prior to the collapse the area saw an early heat wave, with the area having recorded temperatures of around 10° [[Celsius degree|C]] which was seen as abnormal. The collapse occurred near Punta Rocca {{convert|3,309|m}}, a route utilized by climbers to reach the top peak.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Hassan |first=Jennifer |date=July 4, 2022 |title=Ice avalanche kills 6 in Italian Alps, sparks mass rescue effort |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/07/04/italy-alps-avalanche-heat-wave-rescue-dolomites/ |access-date=2022-07-04 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> |
Prior to the collapse the area saw an early heat wave, with the area having recorded temperatures of around 10° [[Celsius degree|C]] which was seen as abnormal. The collapse occurred near Punta Rocca at the height of {{convert|3,309|m}}, a route utilized by climbers to reach the top peak.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Hassan |first=Jennifer |date=July 4, 2022 |title=Ice avalanche kills 6 in Italian Alps, sparks mass rescue effort |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/07/04/italy-alps-avalanche-heat-wave-rescue-dolomites/ |access-date=2022-07-04 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> |
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==Serac collapse== |
==Serac collapse== |
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Revision as of 07:53, 7 July 2022
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| Date | 3 July 2022 |
|---|---|
| Location | Marmolada, Italy |
| Cause | Serac collapse |
| Deaths | 10 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 8 |
| Missing | 2 |
On 3 July 2022, a serac collapsed on the mountain of Marmolada, in the Dolomites at the regional border between Trentino and Veneto, Italy. Ten people were killed, eight were wounded and two others are missing. The large-scale collapse of the serac led to one of the most serious accidents in the Alps in recent decades.
Background
Prior to the collapse the area saw an early heat wave, with the area having recorded temperatures of around 10° C which was seen as abnormal. The collapse occurred near Punta Rocca at the height of 3,309 metres (10,856 ft), a route utilized by climbers to reach the top peak.[1]
Serac collapse
On the afternoon of 3 July, around 13:45, a massive avalanche was triggered by a serac that collapsed due to the high temperatures,[2][3] which reached 10° C the day before the tragedy.[4] At an altitude of 2800 metres, the lower end of a glacier snapped off. The break-off had a width of 200 metres and a height of 60 metres. The ice and rock masses fell several hundred metres down the northern slope onto the hiking trail passing below to the summit and on to just before the Fedaia reservoir about 1.5 kilometres away. The hiking trail was heavily frequented due to the time in the early afternoon of a summer Sunday.
The mountain rescuers described the event as an extraordinary incident that could not be compared to a normal avalanche. According to initial assumptions, the extremely high temperatures of the previous days were a factor leading to the accident. On the summit of the mountain, 10° C had been measured the day before the accident. In addition, much less precipitation than usual had fallen in the previous winter, so that the glacier lacked an insulating layer of snow as protection against the sun and the high temperatures. Reinhold Messner saw the accident as a consequence of climate change. In an initial assessment, glaciologist Georg Kaser also assumed that meltwater had penetrated the glacier and accumulated underneath it, ultimately serving as a lubricant for the ice masses.[10] The day after the accident, Messner visited the glacier and the glacier manager.
Rescuers used thermal drones to search for possible survivors shortly after the collapse with survivors being flown off the mountainside by helicopters.[5]
Victims
Six people were found dead and eight were injured in the immediate aftermath of the collapse. A seventh person was found dead a day later.[6] Three other people were found dead three days after the collapse, and two are still missing.[7]
Aftermath
The Veneto regional governor Luca Zaia, reported that the Alpine rescue unit shared an emergency number for people to call if their loved ones had not returned from excursions on the mountain.[1]
The day after the accident, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi visited the town of Canazei, where the rescue forces' operations centre was located. President Sergio Mattarella and other senior politicians expressed their condolences, and Pope Francis responded with a call to "find new ways conscious of humanity and nature" in the face of climate change.
See also
References
- ^ a b Hassan, Jennifer (July 4, 2022). "Ice avalanche kills 6 in Italian Alps, sparks mass rescue effort". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
- ^ "Marmolada glacier collapse in Italy kills seven". BBC. 3 July 2022.
- ^ "Marmolada, Draghi: 'Lavorare perché non accada più'. Si cercano ancora 14 persone, 4 trovate vive". Ansa (in Italian). 4 July 2022.
- ^ "Chi sono le vittime e i dispersi del crollo alla Marmolada". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). 4 July 2022.
- ^ "Italy: Rescue workers search for survivors of glacier collapse | DW | 04.07.2022". DW.COM. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
- ^ Giuffrida, Angel (2022-07-04). "Italian glacier collapse: rescuers hampered by thunderstorms". the Guardian. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
- ^ "Marmolada, trovati con i droni i corpi di tre dei cinque dispersi: in corso le operazioni di recupero". La Repubblica. 6 July 2022.
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