Italy: PM Mario Draghi links collapse of country's biggest Alpine glacier to global warming

Prime Minister Mario Draghi has linked the collapse of the country's largest glacier in the Italian Alps, in which at least seven people died, to global warming.

Cautioning that it was not clear how many climbers were caught when the glacier gave way on Sunday, authorities have reported 14 people missing.

According to Maurizio Fugatti, the head of Trento province, ice and rock thundered down Marmoladaat 300 kilometres an hour (185 miles per hour).

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The region's Alpine Rescue Service head Giorgio Gajer told the AGI news agency that rescuers used thermal drones to seek the heat from potential survivors.

Following a record-high temperature of 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) was recorded at the summit of the glacier the disaster struck the largest glacier in the Italian Alps.

Due to fears that the glacier may still be unstable a physical search of the disaster scene was impossible on Monday.

Because of bouts of bad weather helicopters could only fly part of the time as per alpine Rescue spokeswoman Michela Canova.

With precipitation down 40 to 50 per cent, the collapse was caused by unusually warm weather linked to global warming, according to Massimo Frezzotti, a science professor at Roma Tre University.

(With inputs from agencies)

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