Officials said that Sunday's collapsed Marmolada glacier block, which is the highest peak in Italy's Alps, resulted in 11 deaths. This could be the final toll.
"We are able to confirm that all the victims have been identified. After the DNA identification of the latest victim, Colonel Giampietro lago, head of Carabinieri's scientific department, said to reporters, "We stopped the number at eleven."
He said that there is no evidence suggesting that others may have been involved in the disaster. The search for other people continued Saturday.
"Today, technical as well as organic material were found. Now, the research with drones is continuing and we will continue the same tomorrow," stated Maurizio Fugatti, president of the Trento province.
Global warming and record temperatures in Italy this year, 10degC at Marmolada's top, had weakened the glacier. It became unstable due to the high temperatures that accelerated its melting.
Trento's public prosecutor has opened an investigation into the cause of the tragedy. The detachment from a serac caused an avalanche ice and rock that carried several roped parties as they made the ascent to this glacier, which is the highest point of the Dolomites at over 3,300m.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC), melting of ice or snow is one of the ten most serious threats from global warming. It disrupts ecosystems and threatens certain infrastructures. .
