Spectacular rockfall thunders into Dolomite gorge – and threatens settlement in South Tyrol

A huge rockslide occurred in the South Tyrolean Dolomites. Local residents filmed the event. Several houses are still in danger.

St. Martin im Thurn – The Val Badia in the South Tyrolean Dolomites in northern Italy is a holiday paradise par excellence. Whether in winter or summer – skiers and hikers get their money’s worth on the weathered peaks and in the narrow gorges. However, the slopes of the valleys are often made up of loose debris that glaciers and rivers deposited during and after the ice ages. And into which streams and rivers have dug deep. Rockfalls occur again and again in South Tyrol.

Giant mudslide thunders into the valley in South Tyrol – video shows spectacular rockfall in Italy

The residents of the hamlet of Pikolein, a district of St. Martin in Thurn, found out over the weekend how treacherous these geological structures are. A powerful mudslide occurred there before the eyes of local residents. Huge boulders fell into the Côr Gorge, through which the Côr stream flows.

In a film taken by locals and shared by the South Tyrol Fire Brigade Association on social media, you can see how the rubble came loose on Saturday evening (July 6) and then poured down like a stone waterfall. Fully grown spruce trees that grew on the slope were simply torn down like toys. Apparently no one was injured in the mega mudslide.

Several residential buildings are threatened by possible flood wave

According to the St. Martin in Thurn volunteer fire department, there are two houses near the stream’s outlet that are not threatened by falling rocks, but are threatened by water that may overflow their banks. The rock masses could form a natural dam in which the Côr stream would dam up to form a lake. This dam could suddenly burst and cause a flood.

The affected section was secured with so-called concrete Lego bricks, reports Rai South TyrolIn addition, an excavator was put on standby and sandbags were prepared in case the stream overflows its banks.

According to Damiano Moling, commander of the volunteer fire department of St. Martin in Thurn, the area is being monitored because there is a risk that more rocks could be washed into the valley with the stream. The surrounding fire departments were informed by Mayor Giorgio Costabiei on Saturday at around 9 p.m.

Danger to life when entering the gorge

In addition to the fire brigade from St. Martin, those from Campill and Wengen were also deployed. On Sunday (July 7), the mudslide was flown over and monitored using a drone. Those responsible considered the risk of further rockfalls to be too great to send people to the slope. Those responsible for torrent control and the state geologists are now monitoring the area. A reconnaissance flight was planned for Monday (July 8).

At the end of June, the municipality of St. Martin im Thurn was hit by a heavy mudslide following storms. In the Austrian Wachau region, a rockslide narrowly missed a bus. At the Lueg Pass in the Salzburg region, falling rocks even hit several cars.