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Melting glaciers in the Dolomites have uncovered over 200 unexploded bombs from the First World War, prompting the Italian army to send troops to clear the area. The munitions, found in September, include artillery shells and hand grenades used by both the Italian and Austrian armies during the conflict known as the ‘White War’.
The Italian army is currently undertaking complex operations to safely clear unexploded munitions, with a focus on areas such as Carè Alto and Vedretta di Lares, as well as Val Martello and the Stelvio region. Despite these efforts, officials emphasise that the risks associated with unexploded ordnance are not always immediately visible and tend to increase with altitude.
The Italian army has intensified operations to locate and deactivate unexploded bombs as melting glaciers in the Dolomites uncover remnants from the First World War, with soldiers focusing on hazardous areas like Val Martello and the Stelvio region. Officials warn that as climate change continues to impact the region, further munitions are likely to emerge, posing increased risks to mountaineers and tourists in the affected areas.
What remains unclear — It is not specified how many more unexploded bombs are expected to be uncovered as glaciers continue to melt.
Melting glaciers in Dolomites reveal hundreds of unexploded World War I bombs
Melting glaciers in the Dolomites are uncovering long-lost munitions (Picture: Julia Alpine Brigade – Esercito/Cover Images)
Melting glaciers in the Italian mountains are revealing hundreds of unexploded bombs from the First World War.
More than 200 of the munitions have been found in the Dolomites, with the army sending troops up to safely clear the area.
The Italian army said the items, including artillery shells, hand grenades and other weapons used by the Italian and Austrian armies during the bitterly fought ‘White War’ in the region, were found in September.
The latest finds follow an even bigger tranche of ordnance discovered during the glacier melt over the summer.
In a statement, Italian Army officials said: ‘As the ice retreats, history resurfaces—and with it, dangers from the past. More than a century later, the mountains continue to yield unexploded ordnance from the Great War.’
Soldiers have been working to clear the unexploded bombs (Picture: Julia Alpine Brigade – Esercito/Cover Images)
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It’s expected that as climate change further melts the Dolomites glaciers, more of the White War’s dangerous legacy will emerge.
The officials added: ‘These complex operations—carried out amidst melting glaciers, steep slopes, and high-altitude terrain—demand a high level of technical expertise and experience.
‘Clearing these areas means eliminating hidden dangers and making the trails—frequented every year by mountaineers, hikers, and tourists—safer.’
Hikers reported several sightings of unexploded bombs during the summer (Picture: Julia Alpine Brigade – Esercito/Cover Images)
The White War was fought between Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces in the freezing, rugged mountain terrain between 1915 and 1918. It included some of the most horrific conditions of the First World War, as troops dug into defensive positions and endured extreme cold amid snow-covered peaks, glaciers and steep mountain slopes.
Hikers reported several sightings of unexploded bombs during the summer, mainly around Canal San Bovo in the Primiero Valley, in the eastern Trentino region.
The Italian army subsequently carried out searches across several high-altitude areas of Trentino-Alto Adige, where retreating glaciers and melting snow have exposed wartime explosives.
Soldiers from Italian army’s Julia Alpine brigade clearing ordnance (Picture: Julia Alpine Brigade – Esercito/Cover Images)
Recent operations have focused on the Carè Alto and Vedretta di Lares areas of the Adamello-Brenta region in Trento, as well as Val Martello and the Stelvio area in Bolzano.
The army said munitions had also been found at Cima Tre Cannoni and along the edges of the Livrio glacier.
The army said the work aimed to make mountain environments safer for mountaineers, hikers and tourists.
More than 200 bombs have been found so far (Picture: Julia Alpine Brigade – Esercito/Cover Images)
The White War was fought at high altitude, where troops endured extreme cold and faced the challenges of snow-covered peaks, glaciers and steep mountain slopes.
More than a century later, the retreat of glaciers is exposing remnants of the conflict, including unexploded ordnance that can pose a danger to people exploring the mountains.
The army said the risks were not always immediately visible and tended to increase with altitude.
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