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Glacier break-off on the Marmolada: the identity of five victims is still unclear
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dpa
The number of officially confirmed fatalities after the glacier collapsed in the northern Italian Dolomites has risen from seven to nine.
This was announced by the President of the Autonomous Province of Trento, Maurizio Fugatti, on Wednesday evening in Canazei at the foot of Mount Marmolada.
So far, four dead have been identified by relatives.
According to Fugatti, the identity of five victims has not yet been clarified.
Masses of ice, snow and debris killed several climbers on Sunday.
Eight people were injured, including a man and woman from Germany who were taken to Italian clinics.
The authorities continued to search for possible victims with drones on Wednesday morning.
They also set up monitoring devices that can measure movements in the glacial mass that has come off and has now solidified.
Due to their instability, the rescue work on the ground was recently not possible.
For safety reasons and while the work was being carried out, the municipality blocked access to the mountain and promised penalties if hikers did not follow the rules.
The judiciary in Trento meanwhile ruled out that the accident was foreseeable, as prosecutor Sandro Raimondi told the Ansa news agency.
The investigators wanted to reconstruct the course of events, view films and hear witnesses.
Experts assume the consequences of climate change are behind the break-off of the piece of glacier.
This year, temperatures in the area were higher than usual, which is why the ice started to melt earlier.
In addition, there was no precipitation in winter and spring, from which the glacier could have fed.
The ice in the mountains of Italy has been receding for years.
Because of the changing conditions, mountain experts recommend hikers to plan and research their routes thoroughly beforehand.
sol/dpa