- Title: 423A Austria Ice Cave reopens
- Date: 1st August 2020
- Description:Giant ice cave which closed after a deadly rockfall, reopens in Salzburg The cave, what is in German language called "Eisriesenwelt Werfen" reopened three weeks after the horrible accident that killed a 14-year-old visitor on July 12th. ATORF offered an item on that. The management of the cave has installed additional protective measures. The net made of steel above the accident site, being directly on the path to the entrance of the ice world, is 42 meters wide and five meters high. After the fatal rockfall, the net is supposed to protect visitors from eventually further rockfalls. The operators have invested a total of 220,000 Euro in the protection network. The way is now safe, but a residual risk always remains, is emphasized. Detail of interest: The local authorities do not have to accept the new construction. This is because the operators locked voluntarily after the accident. Therefore, by Austrian law, the operators of the ice cave can decide for themselves when and how they open again. It is not yet clear whether the management of the ice cave is liable for the fatal accident - the public prosecutor's office is investigating.However, the management counts with 1000 visitors on the first day, yearly there are app. 200.000 visitors coming. The underground labyrith is the largest ice cave system in the world. Shotlist - CU visitors approaching outside stone cave entrance - MS entrance, TILT UP protective net upon rocks - WS path carved in stone to entrance of the ice cave - SOUNDBITE(German) Franz Reinstadler,ice cave operator: "The construction site itself only took 10 days. Usually 8 to 10 weeks are estimated. We had the fullest support from the construction companies with an extremely large number of staff. The cave guides helped as much as they could to reopen as quickly as possible." - MS entrance ,visitors, ZOOM IN woman sitting on wooden bench fixed on stones - CU visitors approaching entrance - SOUNDBITE(German) woman 1: "Not coming was not an issue for us. I read that they have secured it, so it was ok for us." - SOUNDBITE(German) woman 2: "Why it was closed? No I do not know! Because of Corona?" - SOUNDBITE(German) reporter: "No, there was a rockfall!" - SOUNDBITE(German) woman 2: "Ah, ok!" - PAN LEFT visitors climbing up path - CU entrance, ZOOM IN securing steel rope - SOUNDBITE(German) Friedrich Oedl, manager of the ice cave: So the immediate measure, with which it was possible to erect it in record time, is not suitable for winter. That means that we would now have to discuss further projects with the experts on how one might be able to find a permanent solution here, but one must say that this measure, as it is now, is sufficiently dimensioned for falling rocks - MS visitors climbing up path in tunnel, ZOOM IN securing net - CU Oedl and Reinstadler, turned around with view to cave entrance - MS outside cave entrance - ZOOM OUT securing steel net
- Collection: ORF
- Genre:News
- Producer:ORF
- Transmission Date:02/08/2020
- Decade: 2020s