[ad_1]
The prosecutor had investigated the suspicion of negligent homicide. A due diligence violation could not be determined, the authority told the APA on Wednesday. The results of the investigation are based on photographs taken by the police and an expert report prepared by a regional geologist on the incident. According to this, a piece of rock apparently fell off the mountain range about 300 meters above the access road decades ago, but the block has remained in its location due to soil and vegetation.
Rockfall due to heavy rain?
Shortly before the fatal accident, heavy rain fell on the Salzburg Tennengebirge. According to the report, the rock at about 1,930 meters above sea level with a high degree of probability eventually completely loosened due to heavy rains and then rockslide occurred. The geologist performed a three-dimensional rockfall simulation, which has only recently become state of the art. The result of this simulation was that the probability of a stone hitting the accident site at 1,670 meters above sea level is very low.
The rockfall occurred late in the morning on July 12. Above the entrance to the ice cave, the large rock of approximately one to two cubic meters had broken off the wall. It fell and was shattered into many smaller pieces. The path to the giant iron world was struck by stones in a width of 100 meters.
14 years shot to death
Most of the trail was covered by rockfall galleries, but some rocks fell onto the unprotected section that was previously considered safe. The 14-year-old visitor was struck in the upper body by a stone weighing about 25 kilograms and was so seriously injured that he died at the scene of the accident. A 19-year-old was also hit by a stone on the leg and injured. He was able to leave the hospital shortly after.
Eisriesenwelt reopened
The access route to the cave was initially closed after the accident. On August 1, about three weeks after the fatal rockslide, the road and with it the giant ice world opened again. The operating company had a five-meter-high and 42-meter-wide protection net placed over the accident site in a very short time. You should now ensure the safety of your visitors. The giant iron world is one of the most important tourist attractions in the state of Salzburg, it celebrated its 100th anniversary on September 26, 2020.
(Those: APA)
