Death Toll from Italy Glacier Collapse Rises to 11

On Saturday, Police reported that the death toll from the Alpine Glacier collapse in Italy rose to 11.

This toll is expected to be final, according to the police.

The collapse occurred on Sunday, a day after a high temperature was recorded in the Veneto region, where the temperature above sea level in some parts of the region exceeded 40 degrees Celsius.

According to regional officials, temperatures over the top of Marmolada reached about 10 degrees Celsius.

Typically, temperatures remain below freezing (0°C) throughout the year at the highest peaks of the Alps.

"We have identified all the victims," police officer Colonel Giambiatro Lago said.

He added, "The death toll has reached 11. As of today, we have no indications that would make us believe that there are more people."

Earlier, Walter Milan, a spokesperson for the national Alpine rescue corps, said 8 hikers were injured but did not disclose how many people were in the area.

Of the eight hospitalized survivors, two were in critical condition, according to emergency dispatch services.

The SUEM dispatch service, which is based in the nearby Veneto region, noted that 18 people who were above the area of Marmolada where the ice struck would be evacuated by the Alpine rescue corps.

SUEM also indicated that the avalanche consisted of a “pouring down of snow, ice, and rock.” The detached section is known as a serrac, or pinnacle of ice.

In a tweet, the Alpine rescue service said the segment broke off near Punta Rocca (Rock Point), “along the itinerary normally used to reach the peak.”