A fragment of the Grandes Jorasses at risk of collapse because of the heat, leading to the evacuation of dozens of residents and tourists.
This is a volume of ice estimated at 500 000 cubic metres. It would be on the point of detaching from the glacier de Planpincieux in the Italian part of the alpine massif of Mont Blanc, on the territory of the commune of Courmayeur. This fragment of a glacier of the Grandes Jorasses threatening to collapse because of the heat requires the evacuation of residents and tourists in the area, announced this Thursday the local authorities.
Several roads in the foot of this municipality of the region of Val d’aosta is situated near the border with France, which lead to the valley of Val Ferret, have been closed, according to an ordinance of the municipality of Courmayeur. The authorities have ordered the evacuation of about thirty homes within a “red zone” in the lower part of the Val Ferret, for approximately 70 people, 15 residents and more than 50 tourists.
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“The order was given after a meeting with technicians at the regional level, have painted the picture of the situation in the light of the projected increase in temperature” for the next few days, said the news agency Ansa.
The evacuees were gathered in the ice rink in Courmayeur for a first home, in collaboration with the local Red Cross. “For the evacuated residents, we will evaluate the solutions to find the” while “tourists will have to find other solutions,” said Ansa, the mayor of Courmayeur, Stefano Miserocchi. The exact number of people to be evacuated from the danger zone will be determined in the next few hours, with the end of the operations, according to Ansa.
glacier de Planpincieux already threatening to collapse in 2019
evacuation operations, and security are carried out since this morning (Thursday) by the forces of law and order and civil protection, while the local authorities are worried about the temperature for the next three days in the period of high summer heat.
In September and October 2019, glacier de Planpincieux had already threatened to collapse partially, on a portion of nearly 250,000 cubic metres. Surveillance measures have since been put in place. This year, the mass of ice is affected by trends in abnormal temperatures to come” starting this Thursday, according to the municipality.
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The people outside of the risk area, shared area, red and yellow, can choose to stay in the Val Ferret “if they feel self-reliant for at least three days”, with stocks of foods needed. The valley of Val Ferret is located on a north-east compared to the famous resort of Courmayeur, which is itself not threatened by the possible fall of the ice of Planpincieux. To access the valley of Val Ferret, there is an “alternative route”, one-way alternating : access is restricted to the rescuers, police, municipal services and to authorized persons, said Ansa.
