Much of Italy is baking in an early summer heat wave, and scientists have said climate change has made previously stable glaciers harder to predict. read more Sunday’s avalanche occurred on Marmolada, which at more than 3,300 meters is the highest peak in the Dolomites, a mountain range in the eastern Italian Alps that stretches across the regions of Trento and Veneto. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said the disaster was linked to environmental factors. “Today Italy is crying for these victims,” ​​Draghi said during a visit to meet rescue teams. “But the government needs to think about what has happened and take steps to ensure that what happened is unlikely to happen again or even be avoided,” he added. Seven people were killed and two of the eight injured are in serious condition, said Maurizio Fugati, president of the Trento region. The Punta Rocca summit is seen after parts of the Marmolada glacier in the Italian Alps collapsed amid record temperatures, killing at least six people and injuring several others, on the Marmolada ridge, Italy, July 4, 2022. REUTERS/Borut Zivulovic An Austrian and three people from the Czech Republic were among the 14 missing. “This is the first such accident in the history of the mountain,” said Gino Comelli, who helped coordinate the rescue efforts. The summit was too unstable for rescuers to attempt to approach on foot, Comelli said, adding that recent warm weather was a factor in the collapse. Pope Francis said he was praying for the victims and their families. “The tragedies we are experiencing with climate change should force us to urgently seek new ways that respect people and nature,” he tweeted. Rising average temperatures have caused the Marmolada Glacier, like many others around the world, to shrink steadily in recent decades. “The collapse of the Marmolada glacier is a natural disaster directly linked to climate change,” said Poul Christoffersen, professor of glaciation at the University of Cambridge. “High altitude glaciers like Marmolada are often steep and rely on cold temperatures below zero degrees Celsius to keep them stable,” he added. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Additional reporting by Emilio Parodi and Angelo Lover. Written by Giulia Segreti and Keith Weir. Editor: Janet Lawrence Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.