We report on the prompt and afterglow emission observations of the dark burst GRB010214 with BeppoSAX .
The prompt emission shows possible evidence of variable absorption from N _ { H } = 3.0 ^ { +5.1 } _ { -2.0 } \times 10 ^ { 23 } cm ^ { -2 } in the first 6 s of the event to a value consistent with the Galactic column density ( N _ { H } ^ { G } = 2.66 \times 10 ^ { 20 } cm ^ { -2 } ) in the GRB direction .
An X–ray afterglow emission in the 2–10 keV energy band was detected with BeppoSAX , but an analogue search at lower wavelengths ( optical , IR and radio ) was unsuccessful .
The X–ray afterglow spectrum is consistent with a power–law with Galactic absorption .
The light curve shows a complex decay , if the tail of the prompt emission is assumed as the onset of the afterglow : if the origin of the afterglow is coincident with the GRB onset , a bump before \sim 3 \times 10 ^ { 4 } s is inferred , while if the afterglow is assumed to start later , a steepening of the power–law light curve at t \sim 3 \times 10 ^ { 4 } s is deduced .
We discuss these results in the light of the current models of afterglows and the possible origin of the GRB darkness .
Finally , we tentatively derive an estimate of the burst redshift .