An estimated 20,000 cubic metres
of rock and mud fell from a mountainside near Courmayeur in the
Italian Alps overnight as rising temperatures added to ongoing
instability in the area.
The Mont Blanc tunnel linking Italy and France was closed
for almost two hours as a result of the landslide, the largest
of several to affect slopes above the luxury Italian ski resort
over the Easter holiday long weekend.
The rocks and mud fell from Monte di La Saxe, where an
estimated 400,000 cubic metres of earth is on the move.
Franco Gabrielli, head of Italy's civil protection
department, arrived in Courmayeur on Tuesday to assess the
situation.
He was also due to meet with 80 residents of La Palud,
located at the foot of the Monte de La Saxe landslide, who were
evacuated as a precautionary measure on April 8.
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