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Rescuers in Italy reported on Monday that at least a dozen skiers, hikers and climbers died last week in a record-breaking accident in the country’s mountainous region.
Although authorities said 11 of the 12 victims were killed due to unstable conditions on ungroomed slopes, the Associated Press reported 13 deaths in total.
These incidents happened when the Winter Olympics started in this region last Friday. Authorities stressed that the game sites – located in Lombardy on the Swiss border, Cortina d’Ampezzo in Veneto and Val di Fiemme in Trentino – remain safe, well-maintained and carefully monitored.
Italy’s professional mountain rescue organization said the deadly disasters were caused by a weak layer of ice, so unstable that the passage of a single person could trigger the avalanche.
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Vigili del Fuoco crews are digging through heavy snow while conducting a search and rescue operation in the mountains. (Fire Vigil)
The main problem is caused by “the continuous weak layers of the snow blanket, often covered by snow or fresh air, conditions that make the detachments invisible and easily awakened even by the passage of a single skier or alpinist,” said the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps. “The danger points are many and difficult to pinpoint, even for experts.”
The spokesman for the country’s Alpine Rescue Corps, Federico Catania, added that the recent snowstorms have prompted tourists to use these new slopes, “and as a result, the number of accidents, as well as deaths, have increased proportionally,” AP reported.
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Two Vigili del Fuoco workers stand inside the helicopter next to the open door during the operation of the snowy mountains. (Fire Vigil)
Italy’s fire brigade, Vigili del Fuoco, reported that, over the weekend, two people died and one was seriously injured in Alpe Meriggio in Valtellina after being caught in a massacre that buried at least one of the victims.
The Associated Press also reported that three people died in the Trentino islands and one in neighboring South Tyrol.
Two others were reported killed in separate flights near the Marmolada glacier, two hikers in the Apennine region and a climber in the Valle d’Aosta.
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Vigili del Fuoco crews carry out a helicopter rescue operation in a mountain area. (Fire Vigil)
Apart from these regions, Catania said that people who ski in managed areas should not face serious risks, reports AP.
There are no risks for people skiing in managed ski areas, and, in particular, there are no risks in the Olympic areas,” said Catania. “All these areas are always supervised and generally safe except for Olympic events.”
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Before the start of the Winter Olympics, Vigili del Fuoco said that workers will maintain safety measures for all visitors to these areas.
“At the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the Italian National Fire Brigade deployed an advanced rescue system to ensure the safety of athletes, delegates, spectators and citizens, while also ensuring the continuation of normal service,” the organization said.
