As of: February 28, 2024, 10:54 a.m
By: Johannes Welte
Comments
Press
Split
Another rock fall in the Alps is causing disaster: a farm near Merano that also accommodates tourists is buried.
Not the first accident there.
Partschins – Directly on the Meraner Höhenweg in South Tyrol in the north of Italy, there is a holiday accommodation on a steep southern slope that offers its guests unique views of the Etsch Valley and the Vinschgau.
The Greiterhof has six guest rooms and 20 holidaymakers can stay here right on the popular Meraner Höhenweg, among the farming family's sheep and goats.
The Partschins waterfall is within reach.
In 2013, a major fire destroyed the farm building, including the residential building and restaurant.
The material cable car that led to the farm was also destroyed.
The family rebuilt the farm.
And now a fatal rockslide occurred there - just like in Austria recently.
Rock slide buries holiday farm in South Tyrol - dozens of animals die
On Sunday (February 25th), the Greiterhof became the scene of a tragedy caused by nature: Above the farm, 400 to 500 cubic meters of rubble and large stones came loose from a rock face.
The crowds thundered into the yard and smashed the stable in which dozens of sheep and a goat and its fawn stayed during the winter.
A rock fall has caused serious damage to a holiday farm in South Tyrol.
© Partschins Volunteer Fire Department
The roof that had been pushed forward and the false ceiling in the stable collapsed under the masses.
Walls were also badly damaged.
The emergency services in South Tyrol punched a hole in a wall to save animals, and later live sheep were found in cavities - between the carcasses.
“Fortunately, no people were affected, but numerous animals died in the rubble,” reports the Partschins fire department on Facebook.
Firefighters fought desperately for the lives of the sheep
“A few sheep, goats, rabbits, chickens and a peacock were rescued alive from the building by the fire department,” it continues.
For safety reasons, the fire department had to call in an excavator to carefully remove the rubble - always in the hope of finding animals that were still alive.
My news
Avalanche alarm: Italy evacuates valley – read curfew for residents
Lotto winner and husband died: mystery about the whereabouts of the 192 million fortune
Illegal pastry shop busted: Austrian woman sells 800 cakes – and makes a fortune
Six correct numbers and still no lottery jackpot: the pair is left empty-handed due to an error
One year after record low tide: water is back - now Lake Garda is running overflowing
Time change 2024: Will summer time start this weekend?
read
The more rubble was cleared away, the more hope of finding any living sheep dwindled.
“A lot of rubble had gotten into the stable,” Commander Steck told
stol.it
.
An older model Fiat Panda parked near the stable was also destroyed.
The residential building with the holiday apartments was spared, so no people were injured.
Farm in South Tyrol is plagued by a streak of bad luck - rock fall was not the first misfortune there
The rockslide was not the first accident to hit the farm in South Tyrol: in 2011, according to the Italian TV channel
RAI
, around 80,000 cubic meters of rock and rubble thundered over the slope - and destroyed the road that led to the farm.
For years, the Greiterhof was only accessible via a narrow, well-worn footpath.
The north of Italy has been hit by a series of rock falls for months.
A road on Lake Ledro was recently completely blocked by a broken rock.
A rock avalanche fell on the Gardesana road near Lake Garda.
In nearby Valsugana, roads, rails and a cycle path were hit by falling rocks two weeks ago.
The Brenner motorway was also recently blocked by rocks.