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06 August 2020 The evacuation of residents and tourists who occupy about thirty houses in the lower part of the Val Ferret (Courmayeur) began this morning due to the alert for the collapse of a part of the Planpincieux glacier (about 500,000 cubic meters). Carabinieri, finance guard, civil, forestry, firefighters and city staff are operating on the spot. In total - according to a first estimate - seventy people (15 residents and over 50 tourists) are people for whom evacuation is scheduled.

The displaced people are gathered in the ice rink of Courmayeur for a first reception, with the collaboration of the Red Cross. "For the residents we will evaluate the solutions to be found" while "the tourists will have to find other solutions", the mayor of Courmayeur told ANSA in the late evening of Wednesday 5 August, after having ordered the evacuation and the closure of the valley. The exact number of evacuated will be ascertained only in the next few hours, with the end of operations. The technicians of the Aosta Valley Region and the Safe Mountain Foundation illustrated to the municipal administration of Courmayeur that the evolution of the Planpincieux glacier has outlined a "new sector" with a volume of about 500 thousand cubic meters and, consequently, a new "zoning of risk areas". A first alert was taken on September 24, 2019, when a section of the Val Ferret had been closed - until November 13 last - due to the danger of collapse of a portion of 250 thousand cubic meters). Since then, glacier monitoring measures have been implemented. The movement of the glacial mass is affected by the "anomalous temperature trends", with an increase expected already today, August 6, after days of relative cold. The "risk situation will have an estimated short duration of at least three days", reads the municipal ordinance. People who are outside the red and yellow areas can choose to stay in Val Ferret "if they believe they are autonomous (even with respect to food supplies) for the period of at least three days".