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Italy avalanche: eight people found alive in hotel rubble Italy avalanche: eight people found alive in hotel rubble
(35 minutes later)
Eight people, including two children, have been found alive in a ski resort hotel in central Italy that was flattened by a powerful avalanche on Wednesday. Eight people, including two children, have been found alive in a ski resort hotel in central Italy that was flattened by an avalanche on Wednesday.
Five survivors, including one young girl and a woman thought to be her mother, were to be flown by helicopter to a hospital in Pescara suffering from hypothermia, officials told reporters in the town of Penne, from where the rescue effort is being coordinated. Rescuers are digging to free the others. Five survivors, including a young girl and a woman thought to be her mother, were to be flown by helicopter to a hospital in Pescara. They were suffering from hypothermia, officials told reporters in the town of Penne, from where the rescue effort is being coordinated. Rescuers are digging to free the others.
“Finding these people gives us further hope there are other survivors,” said Titti Postiglione, a civil protection agency official.“Finding these people gives us further hope there are other survivors,” said Titti Postiglione, a civil protection agency official.
Up to 34 guests, staff and visitors are believed to have been inside the Rigopiano hotel, in the picturesque ski resort of Farindola, when the avalanche hit. As many as 34 guests, staff and visitors are believed to have been inside the Rigopiano hotel in Farindola, which lies at an altitude of 1,200 metres in the lower Gran Sasso mountains, when the avalanche hit.
The survivors were discovered after a 42-hour search in treacherous weather conditions. It is understood they were found in the kitchen area of the hotel, located about 1,200 metres above sea level in the lower Gran Sasso mountain range. The survivors were discovered after a 42-hour search in treacherous weather conditions. It is understood they were found in the kitchen area of the hotel.
Anxious relatives have been waiting for news in the hospital in Penne. Relatives have been waiting for news in the hospital in Penne.
Five deaths have been confirmed so far. The bodies of three victims were removed from the hotel on Thursday. Two hotel guests managed to escape because they were outside the building when the avalanche struck. Five deaths have been confirmed so far, and the bodies of three victims were removed from the hotel on Thursday. Two guests escaped because they were outside the building when the avalanche struck.
Days of heavy snowfall had knocked out electricity and phone lines in many central Italian towns and hamlets, and the hotel phones went down early on Wednesday, just as the first of four powerful earthquakes struck the region. Days of heavy snowfall had knocked out electricity and phone lines in many central Italian towns and hamlets, and the hotel phones went down early on Wednesday, when the first of four earthquakes struck the region.
It was not clear if the quakes triggered the avalanche. Emergency responders said the force of the massive snow slide collapsed a wing of the hotel that faced the mountain and rotated another off its foundations, pushing it downhill. They struck near Amatrice, one of the towns destroyed by an earthquake in August that left almost 300 people dead and thousands homeless. Two powerful tremors struck the area in late October, but no one was killed because the inhabited areas affected had already been evacuated.
The quakes struck near Amatrice, one of the towns destroyed by an earthquake in August that left almost 300 people dead and thousands homeless. Two powerful tremors struck the area in late October, but nobody died because the inhabited areas affected had already been evacuated. It was not clear if the quakes triggered the avalanche, but emergency responders said the force of it demolished a wing of the hotel that faced the mountain and rotated another off its foundations, pushing it downhill.
One of the survivors reported that the guests had all checked out and were waiting for the road to be cleared to be able to leave. The snow plough scheduled for mid-afternoon never arrived and the avalanche hit at about 5.30pm on Wednesday.One of the survivors reported that the guests had all checked out and were waiting for the road to be cleared to be able to leave. The snow plough scheduled for mid-afternoon never arrived and the avalanche hit at about 5.30pm on Wednesday.
Prosecutors have opened a manslaughter investigation into the tragedy, and among the hypotheses being pursued is whether the avalanche threat was not taken seriously enough, according to Italian media. Prosecutors have opened a manslaughter investigation, with one line of enquiry being whether the avalanche threat was taken seriously enough, according to Italian media.
The Farindola mayor, Ilario Lacchetta, estimated on Thursday that more than 30 people were unaccounted for: the hotel had 24 guests, four of them children, and 12 employees were onsite. The Farindola’s mayor, Ilario Lacchetta, said on Thursday that more than 30 people were unaccounted for. The hotel had 24 guests, four of them children, and 12 employees were onsite.
Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said the country had experienced an “unprecedented vice of frost and earthquakes”. Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European commission, said “an earthquake in Italy is an earthquake in Europe”.
Associated Press contributed to this reportAssociated Press contributed to this report