At least a dozen people remain missing after the sinking of the Marmolada, the highest mountain in the Dolomites, Skytg24 also reported, citing lifeguards.
The alpine rescue service said via Twitter that a major ice segment, also known as serac, had collapsed on the Marmolada glacier, along the ascent to the summit.
He also said all alpine rescue stations in the area have been activated, including canine units and at least five helicopters.
An employee of the Castiglioni Marmolada Refuge, a local inn, witnessed the collapse of the serac, telling Skytg24 that “he heard a loud noise, typical of a landslide, then we saw a kind of avalanche composed of snow and ice and there I realized that something serious had happened. “
The collapse also occurred amid record local temperatures, Skytg24 reported, reaching about 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) at the top of the mountain.
Many parts of Western Europe, including Italy, have suffered a long heat wave last month.