Five people are still missing after the landslide near the Canazei ski resort in Italy on Sunday. So far, seven people have been confirmed dead.
Less than 20 minutes ago
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This writes Associated Press.
On Tuesday, it became possible for helicopters to fly up to the accident site and drop off several rescue crews. In the search, they found body parts and hiking equipment.
– We have found many body parts during the last two days. This is very painful for those who find them and those who have to analyze them, says Maurizio Dellantonio, president of the Alpine Rescue Service.
–– The only thing I can think of is that what we found on the surface will be the same as what we find under the landslide when the ice melts, or when digging, if there is a chance.
Authorities initially feared that thirteen people were missing, but the number was reduced to five, as eight of the thirteen accounted for themselves.
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– We must be ready. There is a very limited chance of finding someone alive after such an incident, because the forces in a landslide of this type have a very big impact on people, says Alex Barattin in Alpine Rescue Service.
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Detached from the glacier
A large piece of ice detached from the Punta Rocca glacier, which is located on the Marmolada mountain. This started an avalanche consisting of a mixture of ice, rock and more. The avalanche continued down the mountainside and hit ignorant people below.
Nicola Casagli, a geologist and avalanche expert at the University of Florence, says that the avalanche was more powerful than a normal avalanche.
– This type of landslide, with ice and other residues, are impulsive, fast and unpredictable events, which reach a very high speed and involve large masses. It is impossible to get to safety or to perceive the problem in advance – before you realize it you have already been hit.
Had to search with drone
Due to instability in the terrain, search crews stayed away from the area and conducted searches using drones, at the same time as helicopters circulated in the area.
Two of the rescue crews remained on site overnight, before they could finally get assistance on Tuesday.
The authorities have closed all routes and chairlifts up to the glacier, for fear of instability and that several parts of the glacier could loosen.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi visited the rescue station in Canazei on Monday. He is sure that the landslide is due to the country’s climate situation.
–Italy is in the middle of a heat wave, in addition to the country experiencing its worst drought period in 70 years, writes the Associated Press. Experts are said to have said that unusually little snow in the winter months has exposed the glacier to more heat.
Watch video of the glacier loosening:
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