The encounter comes just after the one-year anniversary of the avalanche, which occurred on January 18, 2017.
During the meeting at Rome’s Quirinale Palace, Mr Gentiloni said that the government which emerges from the March 4 Italian election will bolster disaster prevention strategies to ensure that a similar tragedy doesn’t occur again.
Mr Mattarella added that the question of who to punish for the disaster is a complex one.
“It is up to the courts to establish who was at fault,” Mr Mattarella said while speaking to the victims’ families.
“We look to the magistrates with trust.”
Mr Mattarella stressed the importance of a thorough investigation into the tragedy.
An investigation was opened within 24 hours of the event and is still ongoing a year later.
Investigators are expected to present their findings within the coming weeks.
With ANSA
