Two people have died and three others are seriously injured after an avalanche struck Val Ridanna in South Tyrol, northern Italy, on Saturday morning. The avalanche occurred shortly before 11:40 local time (10:40 GMT) in the Racines area on Cima d’Incendio at an altitude of 2,445 metres.
Ten people, all reportedly equipped with Arva avalanche transceivers, were swept away by the snow mass. Eight survivors were rescued, seven of whom were injured—three seriously and two lightly. The severity of injuries for the remaining two survivors is not yet known.
A major rescue operation was launched, involving five helicopters. The Innsbruck operations centre was alerted, and requests for intensive care beds were made at hospitals in Merano, Bolzano and Bressanone. The Guardia di Finanza and all local Alpine rescue teams were on site.
Separately, a report from the Austrian Alpine Club last week revealed that all but two of Austria’s 96 glaciers have retreated over the last two years, highlighting the impact of climate change. The report noted that the Alpeiner Ferner in Tyrol and Stubacher Sonnblickkees in Salzburg suffered the greatest loss, each retreating by more than 330 feet.
Club vice president Nicole Slupetzky said: “The glaciers are melting—and with every new report, the urgency grows. It’s no longer a question of whether we can still save the glaciers in their old form; it’s about mitigating the consequences for ourselves.”
