Two people have died and five others were injured after a major avalanche struck a group of ski mountaineers in South Tyrol, triggering a large-scale rescue operation.
The avalanche hit the slopes of Cima d’Incendio in the Ridanna Valley late on Friday morning. Authorities said the alarm was raised at 11:40am, when numerous groups were on the mountain, which rises to 2,445 metres near the peak of Tallone Grande.
Two locals killed
Rescuers later confirmed that two local men died in the avalanche: 62-year-old Martin Parigger, a mountain guide from Ridanna, and Alexander Froetscher, 56, also originally from the valley but living in Austria.
The avalanche reportedly began close to the summit, releasing a mass of snow with a front about 150 metres wide and extending several hundred metres downhill. Around 25 ski mountaineers were caught in the slide, although most were only partially affected and not fully buried.
Major rescue operation
A large emergency response was launched involving around 80 rescuers from mountain rescue teams, the Alpine Association, the Guardia di Finanza and local firefighters. Six helicopters from South Tyrol and Austria were deployed to the scene, while hospitals in Bolzano, Merano, Bressanone and Innsbruck were placed on alert.
Uninjured ski mountaineers began searching immediately for anyone buried in the snow, using avalanche transceivers and probes before rescue teams arrived.
The most seriously injured person, a 26-year-old woman from Brescia, was flown to the university hospital in Innsbruck. Two other people, a German and an Austrian tourist, were also reported to be in serious condition. Two further injured skiers, both German citizens, suffered minor injuries.
Conditions and avalanche risk
Authorities said avalanche danger in the Ridanna Valley and much of South Tyrol above 2,000 metres was rated moderate, level two on a five-point scale. However, experts noted that conditions can change rapidly depending on wind exposure and temperature, particularly during periods influenced by the warm föhn wind.
Despite relatively limited snowfall this winter, the Alps have recorded a high number of avalanche victims. In Austria alone, 26 people have died in avalanche incidents this season.
Experts said many recent accidents were linked to unstable layers of older snow beneath more recent snowfall, a condition known as a slab snow problem. The avalanche on Cima d’Incendio, however, was described as a full-depth slide, in which the entire snowpack detached and moved downhill.
