- Title: Italian rescuers effort to find guests of avalanche-hit hotel
- Date: 19th January 2017
- Summary: PENNE, ITALY (JANUARY 19, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF RESCUE TEAM MEMBERS AND POLICE TALKING IN ROOM PAPER ON WALL WITH NUMBERS READING (Italian) "RIGOPIANO COORDINATES" MAP OF THE AREA ON WALL MEMBERS OF THE RED CROSS AT MEETING (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL, CARLO TORLONTANO, SAYING: "We are doing a briefing on the situation. The column of vehicles and equipment reached the area two hours ago and they are operating. It was very difficult to get there, we had to basically open a tunnel in the snow, and the diameter of the tunnel was only of the diameter of the leading vehicle. We are now working to enlarge the passage (leading to the hotel) and to create a plain space in front of the hotel for the vehicles to be able to move and work. We are also waiting for about ten soldiers who specialise on people searching in avalanches with specifically-designed equipment that will try to locate people under the snow." (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL, MARIO MAZZOCCA, SAYING: "At the moment we are talking about an undefined number of missing people. In fact, besides the people registered by police as guests of the hotel, there may have been more, unregistered guests. We should be around 30-35 missing people." MAP OF REGION OF PENNE VARIOUS OF RESCUE TEAMS WORKING ITALIAN POLICE AND ARMY MEMBERS TALKING VARIOUS OF RED CROSS MEMBERS SITTING AND TALKING
- Embargoed: 2nd February 2017 15:46
- Keywords: Italy Earthquake Penne Farindola Hotel Avalanche Snow
- Location: PENNE AND FARINDOLA, ITALY
- City: PENNE AND FARINDOLA, ITALY
- Country: Italy
- Topics: Disaster/Accidents,Earthquakes/Volcanoes/Tsunami
- Reuters ID: LVA0015ZQY5VR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:A huge avalanche swallowed up a luxury mountain hotel in central Italy after a series of strong earthquakes rocked the area, burying up to 30 people under tonnes of snow and debris, officials said on Thursday (January 19).
Italian media said three bodies have been retrieved from the site. Rescue workers declined to comment on the reports, but said they had yet to find any sign of life.
The gabled peaks of parts of the roof and a row of windows were the only sections of the four-storey Hotel Rigopiano still visible after the wall of snow smashed into the four-star spa resort early on Wednesday evening.
Local authorities said about 30 people had been in the building at the time, including two children, but more than 20 hours later, only a couple of survivors had been found -- two men who had been outside when the disaster struck.
"It was very difficult to get there, we had to basically open a tunnel in the snow, and the diameter of the tunnel was only of the diameter of the leading vehicle. We are now working to enlarge the passage (leading to the hotel) and to create a plain space in front of the hotel for the vehicles to be able to move and work," local government official Carlo Torlontano told Reuters.
Torlontano spoke a base camp for rescue workers set up in the town of Penne, some 10 km (6 miles) away from the hotel.
The rescue operation was hampered by metres of snow which has fallen on the Gran Sasso in recent days. Drifts made snow as deep as five metres (16 feet) in some places and snow ploughs struggled to cut a path up winding mountain roads.
The first rescuers only managed to arrive at 4.30 a.m. (0330 GMT) after having to ski through a blizzard to reach the site. After dawn broke, emergency services sent in helicopters.
The avalanche shunted the 43-room hotel, which is 1,200 metres (4,000 ft) above sea level, some 10 metres (30 ft) down the hill, according to media reports.
The disaster struck just hours after four earthquakes with a magnitude of above 5.0 hit central Italy, sparking fears about possible avalanches.
Italian media said guests at the hotel had checked out and were waiting for a snow plough to arrive to open up the road and let them down the mountain. However, the avalanche struck before they had been able to leave. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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