Collapse on the Marmolada: there are six deaths among those swept away by the detachment of the serac. There are eight injured, two of whom are in serious condition.
This was reported by 118 Veneto. Eighteen people which are located above the collapse area will be evacuated by the Alpine Rescue. “We heard a loud noise, typical of a landslide, then we saw a sort of avalanche made up of snow and ice coming down the valley at high speed and from there I understood that something serious had happened.
With the binoculars from here you can see the breakage of the bolt, it is likely that something else will come off”. One of the officials said this Castiglioni Marmolada Refuge, witness to the collapse of the serracco.
“The roar, which was clearly heard around our mountains, made us understand immediately that something serious had happened, so much so that I immediately ran to call for help”, adds the mountain guide.
“I am about 3 km from the serac area – explains – and I saw it all live. We know that part of the mountain well because we also have our own hut right on the top as a refuge. This tragedy hits us, but we were not afraid for our safety because the refuge is safe”.
“Having said that, I repeat – concludes – I expect another part of the serac to come down due to the continued melting of the glacier.”
On the Marmola around 17,30:XNUMX the operations were suspended due to the difficulties: it is necessary to secure the area for further detachments. In the search for the missing, it was explained, the Recco system is used which is based on the use of harmonic radar.
It consists of a electronic device called a detector that transmits a signal and in a reflective plate that can be inserted inside clothing, boots and mountain backpacks.
This type of equipment is currently in use by the research teams of the Alpine rescue, each of which has a detector (R9) which is used to search for people buried by avalanches in all those situations where the people buried are without Artva device (the transceiver worn by ski mountaineers for self-rescue and searching for those buried in avalanches).
The Recco detector has also been created in a larger and more powerful form as a sort of bell that can be hooked under the helicopter and perceive signals up to two hundred meters away/altitude for the search for missing persons in all harsh and alpine environments in general.
The ice serac that broke away from the top of the Marmolada swept away several groups of hikers who were climbing to the summit. According to an initial reconstruction by the Alpine rescue team, the breakaway occurred from summit cap of the Marmolada glacier, below Punta Rocca, an avalanche of snow, ice and rock that also swept away the normal route where the climbers were climbing.
The situation on the mountain is still at risk and to avoid further detachments the helicopter Alpine Rescue of Trento is providing for the remediation of the area with the 'Daisy Bell' (an airborne system for the programmed detachment of avalanches, ed.) and thus avoid as much as possible the danger for the operators.
Helicopters were also on site Suem of Pieve di Cadore, Dolomites Emergency of Cortina, Trento, the Civil Protection of the Veneto Region, the Air Service Center and the Belluno and Trentino Alpine Rescue stations. Of the eight injured who have been recovered so far, 2 have been transported toBelluno hospital, one, the most serious, in the one in Treviso and 5 in the one in Trento.
EDITORIAL TEAM
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