Three tourists died, at least two were injured and several others might have disappeared Wednesday on the hiking trail GR20 in Corsica because of bad weather, according to the provisional assessment of one of the most serious accidents mountain on the island.
A man and a woman died were French, as well as serious injuries, a man aged 30, suffered a head injury and was hospitalized Bastia in a coma, and another injured.
The nationality of the third death was not specified, no more than the second French casualty of this group of ten tourists Belgian.
A previous review had reported seven wounded, but only two had to be hospitalized according to a statement from Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve.
The drama is established shortly after 15:00 to over 1,500 meters above sea level on one of the most difficult and dangerous passages of the GR20, which crosses Corsica from the highest peaks, according to rescue services.
The center of relief Bastia (CODIS 2B) at 3:07 p.m. received a distress call from the hikers group speaking in French. They were then near a river in flood.
They were swept away by a landslide and landslides, effects of violent storms that hit Wednesday on the massif of Monte Cinto , the highest point of Corsica (2706 meters) above the ski resort of Asco.
The landslide occurred in the circus I Cascittoni (bass drums) also called “Circus of loneliness,” a highly technical canyon flank of mountains over 2,000 meters.
“We have crossed a half hour earlier. It was still beautiful but the fog settled above the circus and warned them of the risk. They said well + + we’ll see. The storm then suddenly erupted and lasted for two hours, “said a hiker, Annick Esquinasse at France3 Corsica.
Patrick Guerrini, hotel in Asco,” the storm was accompanied by bursts strong wind, rain and hail and causing, as always in such cases, mudslides and rock falls. “
Very significant resources, coordinated locally by the sub-prefect of Corte Dominique Schuffeneckers, were quickly deployed with a command post in Asco.
Fifty rescuers including police the high mountain pack (PGHM) and firefighters, including specialists in climbing and high -montagne (GRIMP), were engaged in rescue and search operations.
Five helicopters (three Squirrels of Civil Security of Haute-Corse and Corse-du-Sud and the Alps -maritimes Pumas and two Air Force base Ventiseri-Solenzara 126 in Upper Corsica) and twenty terrestrial vehicles were used.
Rescuers brought bodies of the three dead and wounded in the valley and initiated research to find possible missing.
The bodies of the deceased were transported in Corte (Haute-Corse) to rest in a chapel installed Chabrières in the barracks of the Intervention Unit of Civil Security (UISC).
The prefect of Corsica, Alain Thirion, and the president of the county council, François Orlandi went to the rear base relief to UISC Corte, in the center of the island, close to the Northern mountains
-. Frequent accidents –
The research especially by helicopters continued until nightfall and resume Thursday morning.
Rescuers searching, according to Mr. Cazeneuve, “several people reported missing (…) by witnesses or involved” and.
nA survey is conducted by the military PGHM Corsica to explain the circumstances of the accident.
This new drama is one of the most serious with mourning the Corsican mountains, with more than 110 peaks over 2,000 meters.
Every year, tourists lose their lives, especially because of the difficulty of the course and sudden weather changes.
The Cascittoni constitute a feared passing by the mountain. It crosses using ladders, chains and cables fixed on sometimes vertical walls during the third stage (of 15) of the GR20 starting from the north, in the hills above the resort of Calvi.
The crossing of this circus requires a good knowledge of the mountain and the weather, excellent physical condition and quality of equipment.
Thousands of trekkers from around the world, often inexperienced, roam each year the GR20 (200 km in two weeks) reputed to be one of the toughest in the world and frequent accidents theater.
While the mountain storms were announced by the departments of meteorology, Mr Cazeneuve praised the work of rescuers and called for “respect scrupulously the words of caution.”
Unlike other countries, particularly European, mountain rescue, as at sea, including unwary tourists are free in France.
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