Avalanche in Italy

Up to 30 people feared dead as Italian ski hotel is buried by an avalanche after large quakes struck the area yesterday

• Italy avalanche: 'Many dead' in hotel Rigopiano in Abruzzo
• An Italian rescue official has said that a number of people have been killed after a hotel was hit by an avalanche, apparently triggered by an earthquake on Wednesday.
• Rescuers battled overnight to reach the hotel close to the Gran Sasso mountain in the Abruzzo region. "There are many deaths," Antonio Crocetta, the head of a mountain rescue team, was quoted as saying.

Photo Daily Mail

the Big Wobble,

19 January, 2017

Up to 30 people were in the Rigopiano hotel at the time of the avalanche.

The roof partly collapsed and local residents in Farindola alerted emergency services.

But a snowstorm and blocked routes made access to the hotel difficult and Italian media said the first rescuers only reached the hotel on skis at 04:00 (03:00 GMT) on Thursday.

Photo Daily Mail

Several news websites quoted the president of the province as writing on social media that an avalanche had hit the Hotel Rigopiano, saying it was buried in snow.

'There ARE MANY victims, but it all needs to be confirmed,' provincial President Antonio Di Marco was quoted as saying.

Four strong earthquakes shook the same region of central Italy yesterday which suffered deadly tremors last year, and could have had an affect on the avalanche.
The quakes killed one man and sent residents into panic and further isolated towns that have also been buried under more than three feet of snow for several days.

The central Lazio, Marche and Abruzzo regions have been grappling with heavy snow, and one man aged about 82 died after the snow and one of the tremors made the roof of a farm building fall on him, a fire service spokesman said.
Prime minister Paolo Gentiloni said it was a 'difficult day' for Italy.

Series of strong earthquakes hit Italy amid extreme snowfall

https://watchers.news/2017/01/18/earthquake-heavy-snow-italy-january-18-2017/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

A series of strong earthquakes are hitting central Italy since 09:25 UTC on January 18, 2017. Within the first two hours, EMSC registered 21 moderate to strong earthquakes; by 15:52 the agency registered a total of 102 earthquakes. This region is currently under powerful blizzard conditions with parts under more than 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) of snow.

The strongest earthquake so far was M5.7 at a shallow depth of 9 km (5.6 miles), according to theEMSC. USGS registered the same magnitude and a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles).

The epicenter was located 5.3 km (3.3 miles) NW of Amatrice and 30.7 km (19.1 miles) NNW of L'Aquila, and about 96 km (60 miles) NE of capital Roma, Italy.

There are about 3 015 234 people living within 100 km (62 miles).

The quakes are hitting the region devastated last year by a series of destructive earthquakes in which nearly 300 people lost their lives.

The M5.7 quake was strongly felt in capital Rome where the metro system and some schools have been evacuated.

There are no immediate reports of casualties or damage but this region is under powerful blizzard conditions and heavy snow which is blocking roads and limiting initial assessment.

"I don't know if we did something bad. That's what I have been asking since yesterday," Amatrice Mayor Sergio Pirozzi told the AFP news agency.

"We have got up to two meters of snow and now another earthquake. What can I say? I have no words."

Ministry of Interior said all public offices in Aquila, as well as all municipalities of the province, will be closed today and tomorrow. This does not include emergency services.

The quakes have triggered a deadly avalanche at the base of the Gran Sasso mountain range near the Rigopiano di Farindola hotel. Up to 30 people are feared dead.

“Around 30 people are unaccounted for, between guests and workers at the Hotel Rigopiano in Farindola,” Fabrizio Curcio, head of Italy’s civil protection department, said.

Below is a list of all earthquakes registered by the EMSC between 09:25 and 15:52 UTC today (total 102).

Date	Time UTC	Latitude	Longitude	Depth	Magnitude Type	Magnitude	Region Name
2017-01-18	15:52:49	42.59	13.31	10	ML	2.5	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	15:51:27	42.58	13.31	11	ML	2.7	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	15:46:54	42.53	13.28	13	ML	2.6	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	15:43:03	42.49	13.31	14	ML	2.9	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	15:35:35	42.48	13.27	13	ML	2.6	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	15:28:54	42.55	13.29	14	ML	2.5	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	15:18:29	42.49	13.3	13	ML	2.9	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	15:16:13	42.65	13.21	10	mb	4.6	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	15:13:36	42.61	13.32	8	ML	2.9	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	15:11:39	42.52	13.32	9	ML	3.6	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	15:06:22	42.59	13.26	10	ML	2.5	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	15:00:56	42.49	13.26	14	ML	2.6	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	14:56:44	42.52	13.29	13	ML	2.8	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	14:55:20	42.58	13.3	10	ML	2.5	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	14:52:26	42.53	13.27	13	ML	3.4	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	14:48:11	42.6	13.31	11	ML	3.3	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	14:40:54	42.51	13.29	14	ML	2.5	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	14:37:49	42.51	13.37	9	ML	3.6	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	14:33:23	42.52	13.27	13	ML	3	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	14:29:25	42.5	13.29	13	ML	2.5	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	14:24:26	42.61	13.31	8	ML	2.6	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	14:22:20	42.51	13.29	10	ML	2.7	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	14:18:02	42.53	13.29	10	ML	2.8	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	14:12:43	42.51	13.27	13	ML	3.3	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	14:07:21	42.56	13.25	11	ML	2.5	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	14:05:01	42.56	13.31	9	ML	2.5	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	14:03:22	42.47	13.28	12	ML	2.8	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	14:01:08	42.61	13.32	8	ML	3.8	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	14:00:11	42.5	13.29	13	ML	3.2	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	13:56:31	42.52	13.29	15	ML	3.5	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	13:55:11	42.52	13.27	12	ML	2.7	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	13:53:36	42.59	13.27	13	ML	2.8	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	13:49:45	42.51	13.27	13	ML	2.9	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	13:43:38	42.48	13.26	13	ML	3	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	13:41:23	42.47	13.26	12	ML	2.5	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	13:39:48	42.56	13.29	9	ML	3.2	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	13:37:45	42.49	13.3	11	ML	3.2	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	13:35:21	42.54	13.26	11	ML	3.8	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	13:33:37	42.48	13.28	10	mb	5.2	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	13:30:33	42.51	13.31	10	ML	3	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	13:27:10	42.6	13.3	10	ML	2.6	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	13:22:25	42.53	13.29	11	ML	2.7	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	13:19:52	42.49	13.27	12	ML	3.8	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	13:18:18	42.54	13.29	14	ML	2.5	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	13:11:49	42.59	13.26	12	ML	2.8	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	12:42:17	42.51	13.29	14	ML	2.9	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	12:41:15	42.5	13.29	10	ML	2.7	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	12:38:58	42.5	13.28	14	ML	2.8	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	12:34:14	42.51	13.28	11	ML	2.7	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	12:32:30	42.53	13.31	10	ML	3.1	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	12:30:49	42.51	13.28	12	ML	3.5	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	12:26:38	42.55	13.26	14	ML	2.5	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	12:25:26	42.48	13.29	10	ML	2.7	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	12:16:26	42.53	13.3	13	ML	2.7	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	12:14:49	42.55	13.28	11	ML	3.3	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	12:10:50	42.53	13.3	10	ML	2.9	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	12:07:34	42.55	13.31	10	ML	2.5	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	12:05:17	42.56	13.28	11	ML	2.9	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	12:03:36	42.55	13.31	10	ML	2.8	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	12:01:17	42.54	13.27	14	ML	4.1	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	11:56:58	42.53	13.28	14	ML	2.9	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	11:51:05	42.55	13.31	10	ML	2.6	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	11:39:44	42.56	13.26	13	ML	2.7	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	11:34:12	42.58	13.26	13	ML	2.8	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	11:30:19	42.55	13.23	4	ML	2.6	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	11:26:57	42.53	13.29	11	ML	2.6	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	11:22:46	42.51	13.32	12	ML	2.9	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	11:21:27	42.6	13.06	5	ML	2.6	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	11:19:30	42.56	13.26	11	ML	2.5	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	11:16:26	42.5	13.29	11	ML	2.5	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	11:13:33	42.5	13.31	11	ML	2.8	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	11:11:30	42.58	13.25	11	ML	2.6	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	11:07:37	42.62	13.24	10	mb	4.7	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	11:04:43	42.53	13.27	12	ML	3.4	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	11:00:53	42.52	13.36	11	ML	3.5	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	10:53:47	42.5	13.28	9	ML	3	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	10:51:16	42.49	13.28	11	ML	3.5	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	10:46:33	42.52	13.27	14	ML	2.9	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	10:43:47	42.5	13.29	10	ML	3	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	10:41:42	42.48	13.28	10	ML	3.7	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	10:39:24	42.54	13.29	11	ML	4.1	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	10:37:46	42.51	13.27	13	ML	3.7	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	10:34:09	42.57	13.26	10	ML	3.2	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	10:30:33	42.53	13.27	10	ML	3.8	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	10:25:25	42.49	13.31	9	mb	5.3	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	10:24:16	42.6	13.17	10	mb	4.5	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	10:22:30	42.52	13.3	12	ML	3.2	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	10:21:00	42.58	13.29	8	ML	3.1	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	10:19:21	42.53	13.28	11	ML	3.2	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	10:16:39	42.55	13.28	11	ML	4.6	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	10:15:33	42.53	13.29	10	ML	4.7	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	10:14:10	42.53	13.28	9	mb	5.7	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	10:11:57	42.58	13.25	11	ML	2.7	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	10:09:01	42.54	13.26	11	ML	2.5	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	10:07:49	42.58	13.31	12	ML	2.9	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	10:05:42	42.61	13.26	11	ML	2.7	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	09:56:34	42.6	13.27	15	ML	2.5	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	09:52:11	42.91	13.13	8	ML	3.2	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	09:34:44	42.57	13.28	11	ML	2.5	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	09:31:05	42.58	13.27	9	ML	2.6	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	09:25:41	42.55	13.26	9	mb	5.3	CENTRAL ITALY
2017-01-18	07:08:36	42.99	13.02	10	ML	2.6