(Italy, 8th) Northern Italy’s major winter sports areas have been hit by heavy snowfall in recent days, and on the 7th local time, multiple avalanches occurred in the Alps, resulting in at least three fatalities among people skiing off designated trails.
The incidents took place in the regions of Trentino-Alto Adige and Lombardy, both of which are venues for some Winter Olympic competitions.
According to the Italian alpine rescue department, two of the avalanches occurred in the Marmolada area of the Dolomites, close to Cortina d’Ampezzo, where women’s alpine skiing events are held. Rescuers recovered the body of a man in the vicinity of Punta Rocca peak, at about 3,300 meters altitude in the Marmolada massif. The deceased had been cross-country skiing with three others, when they reportedly triggered an avalanche and were buried under snow.
The other two victims died in Albosaggia, Sondrio Province, Lombardy region, in the lower Valtellina valley, about 65 kilometers from Bormio where the men’s alpine skiing events are held. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether there is a fourth fatality in Trentino-Alto Adige; local media report that a man who was previously injured in an avalanche has since died in hospital.
Reports indicate that continuous snowfall in the Alps has caused multiple avalanches in recent days. Another avalanche recently occurred in the Trentino-Alto Adige region, resulting in the deaths of two Finnish skiers.