Rescuers see no signs of life at Italian avalanche-hit hotel

Rescue workers on skis reach a four-star spa hotel buried by an avalanche in earthquake-stricken central Italy, reporting no sign of life in the building even though two survivors found outside say more than 30 people were inside when the snow struck.

As heavy vehicles try to reach the Hotel Rigopiano to help with the rescue, criticism mounts over the response to the four quakes, one a magnitude 5.7, and days of unusually heavy snowfall that have blanketed the region. Accounts emerge of hotel guests messaging rescuers and friends for help yesterday, with at least one attempt at raising the alarm rebuffed for several hours.

When rescuers on skis arrived in the early morning hours, they found just two people alive outside the hotel and no other signs of life, according to a video of the interior shot by rescue crews.

— AP