A full-scale operation is underway after a hotel was buried by an avalanche on Wednesday. More than 20 guests and ten staff are missing at the Hotel Rigopiano in the village of Farindola. Rescuers say
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A full-scale operation is underway after a mountain hotel was buried by an avalanche on Wednesday.
More than 20 guests and ten staff are missing at the Hotel Rigopiano in the village of Farindola.
At least one person is reported to have been killed.
Rescuers are saying they fear “many people” have died.
The hotel lies at the foot of the Gran Sasso mountain in the central region of Abruzzo.
Firefighters, mountain rescue teams, police and ambulances are at the scene.
Footage from the inside of the building shows the interior engulfed in snow.
Emergency teams battled through deep drifts to reach the hotel near the Gran Sasso mountain.
The route was also blocked by fallen trees. Teams used skis to get through.
It is thought the avalanche was triggered by an earthquake.
The region was hit by a series of strong tremors on Wednesday.
In total, there were 10 quakes over the magnitude of 4.0 on Wednesday, clustered in a 10 kilometre radius around Amatrice.
The town was devastated by an earthquake last August.
Experts have warned the risk of another earthquake in the area is high.
Rescuers at the site include:
- 20 firefighters
- two mountain rescue teams
- six ambulances
- local police
WATCH
Italie: premières images de l'hôtel #Rigopiano et de l'arrivée de premiers secours cette nuit, qui ont dû terminer leur route à ski pic.twitter.com/4dnDi6yIJv
— franceinfo (@franceinfo) January 19, 2017
Le immagini dall'elicottero della #PoliziadiStato che sorvola l'hotel di #Rigopiano sommerso dalla neve pic.twitter.com/ntmQU0CUJA
— Polizia di Stato (@poliziadistato) January 19, 2017
In tweets
Images emerge of the Italy hotel buried by an avalanche as rescuers arrive on the scene https://t.co/Kss3ewDhY2pic.twitter.com/QSN4XiiohT
— NBC News (@NBCNews) January 19, 2017
Pictures from the avalanche which buried a hotel in central Italy emerge; 30 people missing https://t.co/CbMigwB4×5pic.twitter.com/6uLDnKZ5S9
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) January 19, 2017
In arrivo nostri cinofili dopo viaggio tra muri di neve per ricerca dispersi di hotel #Rigopiano travolto da slavina. Si scava nelle neve. pic.twitter.com/p3XGhgpNRf
— Polizia di Stato (@poliziadistato) January 19, 2017
Video: Footage of the Rescue efforts in extremely difficult conditions at the Rigopiano di Farindola hotel #Italypic.twitter.com/OvK3HhSbNN
— chill (@chiIIinois) January 18, 2017
+++ #Terremoto, i soccorritori diretti all'#HotelRigopiano devono percorrere 55 km nella neve +++ https://t.co/Cs7tFaK0JRpic.twitter.com/GleyOPuRaI
— Lettera43 (@Lettera43) January 18, 2017
Prayers for all at #hotelrigopiano in Italy. Every staff and guest missing after #avalanche # earthquake pic.twitter.com/zPnraQJAOL
— Shelley Morris (@trappershell) January 19, 2017
Heavy snowfall is hampering earthquake rescue operations elsewhere.
The regions of Lazio, Marche and Abruzzo were shaken by a series of strong tremors on Wednesday.
ADVERTISEMENTThe area is recovering from a series of severe earthquakes last year.
Montereale
Montereale is one of the villages closest to the epicentre of Wednesday’s earthquakes.
The village was flattened by a tremor in 1703. It was heavily damaged in the L’Aquila quake of 2009.
Locals are also coping with unusually heavy snowfall.
‘‘We have had this problem since 2009”, Mayor Massimiliano Georgi told reporters. “Every time we get back on our feet , another one comes along. Unfortunately we have to live with this problem and we have to try to keep going.’‘
ADVERTISEMENT“There is very heavy snow. This is the problem. It is very cold. We cannot sleep at home tonight, because we are afraid (of the earthquake) but outside, in the car or in a tent, it is very cold and snowy,” said a resident.
Residents in quake-hit Italian village Montereale must also deal with heavy snow as they check for damage https://t.co/Tyr0anYAKEpic.twitter.com/5O6sDo8tE5
— AFP news agency (@AFP) January 18, 2017
Earthquakes with initial magnitude of 5.3 strike Montereale in Italy https://t.co/TgjLNnsaBE
— The Guardian (@guardian) January 18, 2017
Castiglione Messer Raimondo
A woman and her baby son have been pulled from the rubble. Both had hypothermia.
The fire service says a helicopter scrambled to take them to hospital got into difficulty and they had to be transported by road.
Earthquakes
The US Geological Survey said the three strongest tremors all struck within the space of one hour.
They had magnitudes of 5.3, 5.7 and 5.6.
ADVERTISEMENTIn total, there were 10 quakes over the magnitude of 4.0, clustered in a 10 kilometre radius around Amatrice,
The town was devastated by an earthquake last August.
Experts have warned the risk of another earthquake in the area is high.