After the glacial collapse in the Dolomites, which killed at least nine people, access to the Marmolada peak remains closed. According to experts, the mountain will be inaccessible for several weeks. Tourism in Trento is therefore concerned about the summer season, which had started again after two and a half years of the corona pandemic. Meanwhile, the search for the three missing persons continues.
Rescue units have been searching the ice and rubble for the bodies of the three missing since Thursday morning. The lower temperatures allowed the search, previously carried out with drones and helicopters, to be continued with rescue teams. Body parts, ice picks and backpacks were found. Of the nine fatalities, four Italians and two Czechs were identified. It was not yet possible to identify three other authorities. Seven of the eight injured are still in hospital.
mourning ceremony planned
A mourning ceremony for the victims of the accident is planned for Saturday in the Trentino city of Canazei, the headquarters of the rescue services. Saturday was declared a day of mourning across the region. The avalanche tragedy has clouded the holiday mood in Trentino. The mayors of the area fear a tourist flight. The local head of the mountain community of Rocca Pietore, Severino Andrea De Bernardin, on the other hand, tries to calm down.
“The Trentino mountains are still accessible, as are the mountain huts and car traffic. Only the Marmolada Glacier is closed. The wrong message is being conveyed: it seems that you have nowhere else to go here, but that is not true,” the mayor emphasized.
“Avoid spectators”
Only the section of the cable car to Punta Rocca, the accident site in the heart of the Marmolada massif, is closed. “This was decided out of respect for the terrible tragedy, but above all to avoid cruel tourism by spectators,” said De Bernardin.
For the future, the northern Italian mountain regions must develop a strategy together to deal with the tourist flow, said Paolo Grigolli, president of tourism in the Fassa Valley of Trentino. “There are dangers in the mountains. Caution is advised in the face of climate change. There are aspects of tourism for which we need to find common ground in all regions of the Alps,” said Grigolli.
Alarm systems planned for alpinists
The province of Trento is currently considering installing alarm systems for mountaineers. “Red flags on the glaciers that threaten to collapse could help mountaineers make more conscious decisions,” said Trentino governor Maurizio Fugatti. “The situation in the Alps has changed radically”, therefore the condition of the glaciers must be constantly monitored with modern technology.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
