At least five dead and eight injured by the detachment of part of a glacier in the Italian Alps

An area of ​​the Marmolada mountain, this Sunday in the DolomitesALPINE RESCUE SERVICES (via REUTERS)

A detachment of part of a glacier in the Italian Alps has caused at least six deaths and eight injuries this Sunday.

The high temperatures of recent days in northern Italy have caused the thaw and the deadly avalanche.

"Unfortunately, six people were found dead," said Michela Canova, spokeswoman for alpine relief in the Veneto region.

The same sources have also indicated that there are eight more people injured, but that the final balance is "still provisional."

The figures could still increase because the disappeared so far are ten.

The detachment has occurred on the La Marmolada glacier, in the Dolomites mountain range.

Two of the injured have been transferred to the Belluno hospital, another to Treviso and five to Trento, the spokeswoman for the emergency services has indicated, without offering more details about the nationality of the victims.

Several helicopters participate in the rescue and surveillance operations.

The cause of the detachment, the same sources point out, is a consequence of the high temperature recorded in recent weeks.

"An avalanche of snow, ice and rock reached the access road at a time when several groups of climbers were there, some of whom were dragged," said Canova.

"The number of affected climbers is still unknown," she added.

The situation has generated panic among hikers in the area.

According to information from the rescue services, 18 people have been evacuated from the top of Punta Rocca and all those who were at the lowest point have returned to the point of origin.

The peak of Marmolada is the largest glacier in the Dolomites mountain chain and it is estimated that it will disappear in about 25 or 30 years and even sooner if the temperature continues to rise, warned the National Research Council of Italy.

The glacier, the largest of the Dolomites, has lost 30% of its volume and 22% of its extension between 2004 and 2015, according to a study by the CNR Institute of Marine Sciences, in collaboration with several universities.

La Marmolada is the largest glacier in the Dolomites, located in the eastern Alps.

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