Five people are missing. They are all Italian citizens. Seven people were killed and eight others were injured in the avalanche. One of them was released on Tuesday. Although it was initially believed that there were more missing than expected, authorities managed to locate many people who were mistakenly listed on the list of mountaineers who had lost their way.
Riccardo Franchin (27-year-old Italian engineer) was one of the fortunate ones to have survived the avalanche. He was climbing Marmolada glacier with three others who remain missing. “I heard a loud noise and I raised my head. I looked up and saw the mountain falling on us. I ran as fast as possible. Riccardo said that he was struck by an avalanche within a short time and then lost consciousness. Riccardo spoke from Trento to Mario Franchin, his father. Mario Franchin later relayed his testimony to Corriere della Sera. The young man said that the sudden arrival of the mass ice, snow, and rocks made him feel no pain.
Riccardo realized what had happened when he awoke after experiencing a feeling of emptyness for a few seconds. Although he was confused, he managed to stand up and take a look around, not finding any sign of his friends. He told his father, “I didn’t see anyone.” He decided to seek shelter and found another mountaineer to give him first aid. He has suffered from liver trauma and scratches to his arms, legs, and face.
Doctors believe Riccardo is miraculously alive and that the father can’t explain why his son is still breathing. He says that despite the joy, the father is concerned about the three other people who were there with Riccardo. Riccardo’s neighbor and friend is one of them. Mario stated that they were worried about the safety of everyone up there and hoped other hikers would be as fortunate as their son.
Rescuers believe it unlikely that any more survivors will be found, but they continue to rescue. On Tuesday, drones located clothing and mountain material in an area where the avalanche took place. “Some people cannot even identify themselves with a piece of the body,” said Maurizio Delantonio of Socorro Alpino. He is the head of the search operations. He said, “It is important to provide certainty to the relatives about what was found,” and asked for more time to study the materials.
Groups of hikers continue to arrive to the Marmolada, despite the risk of further glacier detachment. Inquisitive onlookers also want to see the scene of the tragedy with their eyes. This situation led Giovanni Bernard, Canazei’s mayor, to close all accesses to Marmolada for security reasons.
“There is still the possibility that the remaining block ice could break apart. Dellantonio said that all activities take this into consideration. He also noted that experts are concerned about fractures that remain in the glacier. “We have a responsibility to ensure everyone’s safety,” said the ‘number one” of Alpine Relief.
Sergio Mattarella the President of the Republic also demanded maximum attention. He called the Marmolada incident “a symbol of what climate change can do if it’s not controlled.” He urged all countries to seriously consider the challenges posed by global heating, especially those that have not committed to tackling the problem.
