2022 Marmolada serac collapse
{{Short description|Serac collapse in Italy}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox event
| title = 2022 Marmolada serac collapse
| time =
| image = Il distacco del seracco della calotta di Punta Rocca in Marmolada (2022).jpg
| date = 3 July 2022
| deaths = 11
| injuries = 8
| missing =
| location = Marmolada, Italy
| cause = Serac collapse
}}
File:Marmolada - Canazei, Trento, Italy - August 13, 2013.jpg
On 3 July 2022, a serac collapsed on the mountain of Marmolada, in the Dolomites at the regional border between Trentino and Veneto, Italy. Eleven people were killed and eight were wounded. The large-scale collapse of the serac led to one of the most serious accidents in the Alps in decades. The seismic energy released was comparable to an earthquake of 0.6 M.
Background
Prior to the collapse the area had seen an early heat wave, with the summit of the Marmolada recording abnormally high temperatures of around {{convert|10|C|F}}. The collapse occurred near Punta Rocca at a height of {{convert|3,309|m}}, on a route utilized by climbers to reach the top peak.{{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}}
Description
On the afternoon of Sunday 3 July, around 13:45, a massive avalanche was triggered by a serac that collapsed due to the high temperatures,{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62029780|title=Marmolada glacier collapse in Italy kills seven|work=BBC|date=3 July 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/cronaca/2022/07/03/crolla-blocco-di-ghiaccio-sulla-marmolada-gli-inquirenti-una-carneficina-inimmaginabile-travolte-due-cordate-di-alpinisti_201344de-1372-4f80-846a-ba366940afad.html|title=Marmolada, Draghi: 'Lavorare perché non accada più'. Si cercano ancora 14 persone, 4 trovate vive|work=Ansa|date=4 July 2022|language=Italian}} which reached 10 °C the day before the tragedy.{{cite web|url=https://www.corriere.it/cronache/22_luglio_04/morti-marmolada-9172da4e-fb5c-11ec-aecf-ae9a96890e21.shtml|title=Chi sono le vittime e i dispersi del crollo alla Marmolada|work=Corriere della Sera|date=4 July 2022|language=Italian}} At an elevation of 2800 metres, the lower end of a glacier snapped off. The break-off had a width of about 80 metres and a height of 25 metres. The detached volume was estimated to be 65,000 ± 10,000 cubic metres.{{cite web |title=Estimation of Marmolada glacier collapse volume using Pléiades imagery |url=https://labo.obs-mip.fr/multitemp/estimation-of-marmolada-glacier-collapse-volume-using-pleiades-imagery/ |website=Séries Temporelles |access-date=8 July 2022}} The seismic energy released was comparable to an earthquake of 0.6 M.
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.{{cn|date=February 2024}}
Factors leading to the event
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 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 recent years, a lake has repeatedly emerged on the tongue of the glacier. And this year in the summer this lake has arisen again and then obviously{{snd}}no one has seen it{{snd}}through a hole this water flowed under the tongue and from all sides at these hot July days the water has come in under the glacier." Glaciologist Christoph Mayer also assumed that meltwater had penetrated the glacier and accumulated underneath it, ultimately serving as a lubricant.{{Cite web |first=Ernst |last=Vogt |date=18 December 2022 |title=Bergsteigen und Klimawandel - Das Risiko klettert mit |url=https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/klimawandel-beeinflusst-bergsteiger-100.html |access-date=2024-02-26 |website=Deutschlandfunk Kultur |language=de}} This was later confirmed in scientific publications.{{Cite journal |last=Bondesan |first=Aldino |last2=Francese |first2=Roberto G. |date=2023-06-15 |title=The climate-driven disaster of the Marmolada Glacier (Italy) |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169555X23001071 |journal=Geomorphology |volume=431 |pages=108687 |doi=10.1016/j.geomorph.2023.108687 |issn=0169-555X|url-access=subscription }}
In an initial assessment, glaciologist Georg Kaser also assumed the same.{{cn|date=February 2024}}
Rescuers used thermal drones to search for possible survivors shortly after the collapse with survivors being flown off the mountainside by helicopters.{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Italy: Rescue workers search for survivors of glacier collapse {{!}} DW {{!}} 04.07.2022 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/italy-rescue-workers-search-for-survivors-of-glacier-collapse/a-62350664 |access-date=2022-07-04 |website=DW.COM |language=en-GB}}
Victims
At least five distinct rope teams were involved in the collapse, which killed eleven mountaineers and injured eight more. Nine of the victims (six men, including two mountain guides, and three women) were Italian (all but one hailing from Veneto), and two were Czech.{{Cite web|url=https://messaggeroveneto.gelocal.it/udine/cronaca/2022/07/07/news/tragedia-marmolada-i-nomi-delle-vittime-1.41555963|title=Tragedia sulla Marmolada, un manager friulano tra le vittime: identificati gli altri corpi, tutti i nomi|date=7 July 2022|website=Messaggero Veneto}}[https://www.repubblica.it/cronaca/2022/07/05/news/marmolada_il_manager_il_commesso_e_la_guida_le_vittime_e_lultimo_selfie_prima_del_disastro-356605191/ Marmolada: il manager, il commesso e la guida. Le vittime e l'ultimo selfie prima del disastro]{{Cite web|url=https://www.ildolomiti.it/cronaca/2022/tragedia-della-marmolada-i-due-corpi-identificati-sono-di-martin-ouda-e-pavel-dana-lasciano-6-figli-si-cerca-ancora-il-22enne-nicolo-zavatta|title=Tragedia della Marmolada, i due corpi identificati sono di Martin Ouda e Pavel Dana: lasciano 6 figli. Si cerca ancora il 22enne Nicolò Zavatta|date=8 July 2022|website=il Dolomiti}} Six bodies were recovered in the immediate aftermath of the collapse, a seventh on the following day,{{Cite web |last=Giuffrida |first=Angel |date=2022-07-04 |title=Italian glacier collapse: rescuers hampered by thunderstorms |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/04/italy-glacier-collapse-rescue-teams-continue-search-for-missing-hikers |access-date=2022-07-04 |website=the Guardian |language=en}} two more three days after the collapse, and a further two on the fourth day.{{cite web|url=https://www.repubblica.it/cronaca/2022/07/06/news/marmolada_crollo_ricerche_droni_quarto_giorno-356789420/|title=Marmolada, trovati con i droni i corpi di due dei cinque dispersi: in corso le operazioni di recupero|work=La Repubblica|date=6 July 2022}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.lavocedeltrentino.it/2022/07/08/marmolada-martin-ouda-e-pavel-dana-ecco-i-nomi-dei-due-turisti-della-repubblica-ceca/|title=Marmolada: Martin Ouda e Pavel Dana, ecco i nomi dei due turisti della Repubblica Ceca|first=Redazione|last=Trento|date=8 July 2022}} The remains of the eleventh and final victim were identified through DNA testing on 9 July.{{cite web|url=https://www.rainews.it/articoli/2022/07/marmolada-il-bilancio-definitivo-trovata-lundicesima-vittima--7690e417-f4de-48e3-938b-741d81366e97.html|title=Marmolada, il bilancio definitivo: trovata l'undicesima vittima|work=Rai News|date=9 July 2022}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ildolomiti.it/cronaca/2022/tragedia-della-marmolada-anche-nicolo-zavatta-vittima-della-tragedia-la-conferma-del-ris-i-deceduti-sono-11-non-ci-sono-elementi-per-pensare-ad-altri-dispersi|title=Tragedia della Marmolada, anche Nicolò Zavatta vittima della tragedia. La conferma del Ris: I deceduti sono 11. Non ci sono elementi per pensare ad altri dispersi|date=9 July 2022|website=il Dolomiti}}
Eight injured mountaineers, six Italians and two Germans, were rescued at the site of the disaster and hospitalized in Trento (a 27-year-old Italian man, a 29-year-old Italian woman, a 33-year-old Italian man and a 51-year-old Italian woman{{Cite web|url=https://www.ildolomiti.it/cronaca/2022/tragedia-della-marmolada-dimesso-uno-dei-feriti-il-paziente-tedesco-di-feltre-zaia-il-trentino-davide-resta-in-prognosi-riservata|title=Tragedia della Marmolada, dimesso uno dei feriti (il paziente tedesco di Feltre). Zaia: Il trentino Davide resta in prognosi riservata|date=9 July 2022|website=il Dolomiti}}), Treviso (a 30-year-old Italian man), Feltre (a 67-year-old German man), Belluno (a 58-year-old German woman){{Cite web|url=https://it.euronews.com/2022/07/10/marmolada-dimessa-la-paziente-tedesca-ricoverata-a-belluno|title=Marmolada: dimessa la paziente tedesca ricoverata a Belluno|date=10 July 2022|website=euronews}} and Cavalese, two of whom were in critical condition.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ansa.it/trentino/notizie/2022/07/04/marmolada-17-dispersi-6-morti-accertati-e-8-feriti_60c91b74-1e9d-41cf-ad75-bfc727638ea3.html|title=Marmolada: 17 dispersi, 6 morti accertati e 8 feriti - Trentino AA/S|date=4 July 2022|website=Agenzia ANSA}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.rainews.it/tgr/veneto/articoli/2022/07/la-tragedia-sulla-marmolada-le-vittime-i-dispersi-e-i-feriti-veneti-il-punto-1932f01a-73f1-44ec-b714-ff2d377fd811.html|title=La tragedia sulla Marmolada: le vittime, i dispersi e i feriti veneti. Il punto|website=RaiNews|date=5 July 2022 }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.rainews.it/tgr/trento/video/2022/07/tnt-feriti-marmolada-gravi-non-pericolo-vita-a8920590-1ea3-4786-9ce7-bcca75d8c57d.html|title=Gravi ma non in pericolo di vita i trentini salvati in Marmolada - TGR Trento|website=TGR|date=4 July 2022 }}{{Cite web|url=https://corrieredelveneto.corriere.it/belluno/cronaca/22_luglio_03/crollo-marmolada-si-stacca-un-ampia-torre-ghiaccio-393e86c8-fad2-11ec-b0ef-e99a0b3f10a2.shtml|title=Crollo sulla Marmolada, si stacca una torre di ghiaccio: salgono a sei le vittime. «Ci sono persone disperse»|first=Pierfrancesco|last=Carcassi|date=7 March 2022|website=Corriere del Veneto}}
Aftermath
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.
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.