No contact with hotel hit by avalanche

rome - Rescuers still can not contact any survivors at the hotel in central Italy hit by an avalanche. Approximately thirty people, including children, are missing. The authorities fear that many people have died.

'We have created hard, but no one has responded,' said a rescuer to the Italian news agency ANSA. Two people survived the avalanche. Also, it is a victim removed from the snow.

The Foreign Ministry has not found any indications that Dutch are among the victims. The Department has been in contact with local authorities, inter alia, the ANWB. 'At present we do not assume that there are Dutch victims,' ​​said a spokeswoman.

The avalanche was Wednesday night place in the area that was rocked by a series of earthquakes. The hotel, which was hit by the avalanche hot Rigopiano located in the city of Farindola in the province of Pescara. After the avalanche had a few people with their cell phone for help. 'Help, help, we die of cold,' was a person after the avalanche through a message on his phone let you know.

The rescue work is difficult by the wintry conditions. Several ambulances and other emergency vehicles is a few kilometers from the hotel stranded by a snow of about 2 meters high. A rescue worker said that several aid workers have used skis to get to the hotel. Also, a helicopter used in the rescue operation.

Central Italy was Wednesday within an hour rocked by several earthquakes with a magnitude of over 5. In the village of Castel Castagna in the eastern province of Teramo was killed. Few places have been cut off from the outside world. Thousands of households have no electricity.