Several snow avalanches occurred in the northern Italian Alps on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of at least three cross-country skiers. The accidents took place in the Trentino-South Tyrol and Lombardy regions, both of which are locations that host some of the venues for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.
The Italian mountain rescue department reported that two avalanches occurred in the vicinity of the Marmolada in the Dolomites, not far from the location of the women’s alpine skiing competition in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Rescue teams discovered the body of a male skier at an altitude of approximately 3300 meters, near the highest peak of Punta Rocca in the Marmolada. The man and three others triggered the avalanche while skiing in an unpatrolled area, leading to their burial under a large amount of snow. Despite immediate search and rescue efforts by companions and assistance from other skiers, his life could not be saved until the arrival of the rescue team.
On the same day, another avalanche occurred near the village of Albosaggia in the Valtellina Valley in Lombardy, resulting in the deaths of two other cross-country skiers. The location is about 65 kilometers from the venue of the men’s alpine skiing competition in Bormio.
The mountain rescue department stated that the presence of a fourth victim has not been confirmed yet. Previously, local media reported that a man injured in an earlier avalanche in the Trentino-South Tyrol region may have succumbed to his injuries after being taken to the hospital, but official confirmation has not been provided.
The continuous heavy snowfall in the Alpine region over the past few days has been cited as a significant factor contributing to the frequent accidents. Earlier this week, another avalanche in the Trentino-South Tyrol area claimed the lives of two Finnish skiers.
AINEVA, the Italian avalanche risk monitoring organization, pointed out that due to the recent heavy snowfall and moderate winds, unstable wind-slab layers have formed in the mountains, posing a risk of avalanches even if only one winter sports enthusiast passes through. The organization has issued higher-level avalanche risk warnings in the region, advising the public to avoid entering off-piste areas.
(Translated and referenced from a report by Reuters)