Record-setting wave of mountain deaths rocks Italy as avalanches strike

Rescuers in Italy reported Monday that at least a dozen skiers, climbers and hikers died over the past week in a record-setting tragedy in the country’s mountainous terrain.

While authorities said 11 of the 12 victims were killed in avalanches triggered by exceptionally unstable conditions on ungroomed backcountry slopes, The Associated Press reported a total of 13 deaths.

The incidents occurred just as the Winter Olympics began in the region last Friday. Authorities stressed that the game sites — located in Lombardy on the Swiss border, Cortina d’Ampezzo in Veneto, and Val di Fiemme in Trentino — remain safe, well-maintained and closely monitored. 

Italy’s specialist mountain-rescue organization revealed that the fatal disasters were caused by weak layers of fresh snow, unstable enough that the passage of a single person could trigger an avalanche.

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The main issue is caused by “persistent weak layers in the snowy cloak, often covered by fresh snow or wind: conditions that make detachments unpredictable and easily triggered even by the passing of a single skier or alpinist,” the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps said. “The dangerous points are many and difficult to identify, even for an expert.”

The country’s Alpine Rescue Corps spokesperson, Federico Catania, added that recent snowstorms have prompted visitors to take advantage of the fresh slopes, “and as a result, the number of accidents, and therefore fatalities, has increased proportionally,’’ the AP reported.

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Italy’s national fire and rescue service, Vigili del Fuoco, reported that over the weekend, two people died and one was seriously injured in Alpe Meriggio in Valtellina after being caught in an avalanche that fatally buried at least one of the victims.

The Associated Press also reported that three people died in avalanches in Trentino and one in neighboring South Tyrol.

Another two were reportedly killed in separate avalanches near the Marmolada glacier, two hikers along the Apennine range and an ice climber in Valle d’Aosta.

Outside such regions, Catania said that people skiing in managed areas should not face any significant risks, the AP reported.

“There is no danger for people skiing within managed ski resorts, and in particular no risks to the Olympic sites,’’ Catania said. “All of these areas are constantly monitored and are generally safe regardless of Olympic events.’’

Prior to the start of the Winter Olympics, Vigili del Fuoco said that crews would maintain safety measures for all visitors to the sites.

“For the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the Italian National Fire Brigade has implemented an enhanced rescue structure to ensure the safety of athletes, delegations, spectators, and citizens, while also ensuring the continuity of the regular service,” the organization said.