Italy blames climate change for glacier collapse, 7 dead

Italy's prime minister linked the collapse of the country's biggest Alpine glacier to climate change, as hopes fade of finding further survivors from a disaster that killed at least seven people.

Eight people were injured and another 14 were reported missing, authorities said, cautioning that it was not clear how many climbers were caught when the glacier gave way on Sunday.

Ice and rock thundered down Marmolada, the highest mountain in the Italian Dolomites, at 300 kilometres an hour, according to the head of Trento province, Maurizio Fugatti.

Rescuers used thermal drones to seek heat from potential survivors, although chances of finding them were "slim to nothing", the region's Alpine Rescue Service head Giorgio Gajer told AGI news agency.

The bodies recovered so far were found "torn apart", rescuer Gino Comelli said.

The disaster struck one day after a record-high temperature of 10 degrees Celsius was recorded at the summit of the glacier, the largest in the Italian Alps.

Prime Minister Mario Draghi said it was "without doubt linked to the deterioration of the environment and the climate situation".

Alpine Rescue spokeswoman Michela Canova said an "avalanche of snow, ice and rock" hit an access path at a time when there were several roped parties, "some of whom were swept away".