COURMAYEUR, Italy, April 21 (UPI) -- Temperature changes caused an ongoing series of landslides in the Alps over the weekend that disrupted traffic on highways in the region.
The Mont Blanc tunnel -- a major transport route connecting Courmayeur, Italy, in Italy’s Aosta Valley, and Chamonix, France -- was closed for periods Sunday. Approximately 80 residents of the village of La Palud, near Courmayeur, were evacuated.
Authorities feared rising temperatures will cause additional landslides Monday, and Franco Gabrielli, chief of Italy’s civil defense agency, will meet with local officials to address the matter.
There were no reports of injuries or property damage involved in the landslide.
The mayor of Courmayeur said she was concerned about the warming temperatures. “Today (Monday) the landslide has accelerated, temperatures have risen and with that, the speed (of landslides),” said Courmayeur Mayor Fabrizia Derriard.
Civil defense staff and volunteers worked through the Easter holiday to clear roads and reinforce protective barriers around villages and roads.
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