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Six people have been found alive two days after an avalanche buried dozens of people at a hotel in central Italy.
Rescuers initially feared up to 30 people had died when the hotel Rigopiano, in the region of Abruzzo, was covered in snow and debris after a series of earthquakes on Wednesday.
30 people are feared dead in a hotel swallowed by a post-earthquake avalanche in central Italy, however authorities report that six people have been found alive almost two days after rescue efforts began.
30 people are feared dead in a hotel swallowed by a post-earthquake avalanche in central Italy, however authorities report that six people have been found alive almost two days after rescue efforts began.
The survivors were found on Friday morning and have yet to be pulled out, a fire department official said.
"They are alive and we are talking to them," Luca Cari told Reuters from the scene.
Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported five helicopters are heading to the village of Farindola, the closest town to the hotel, from the nearby city of Pescara.
The helicopters are bringing blankets and extra rescue supplies.
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Since rescuers arrived at the hotel in the early hours of Thursday morning, they have been racing against time to find those trapped inside.
On Friday, the search was complicated by a slight rise in temperature, which made it difficult to dig in the snow, officials told La Repubblica.