For full story and video ⇒ http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38703592
Italy avalanche: Four more rescued from Rigopiano hotel
Four more people were rescued overnight from a hotel in Italy destroyed by an avalanche three days ago.
The rescue means that nine people have been recovered alive from the Rigopiano hotel in the eastern Abruzzo region.
At least 15 people are still missing after the avalanche that came after several earthquakes and heavy snowfall.
While one more survivor has yet to be rescued, Italian media said other voices may have been heard in the ruins during the night.
Four bodies have been found so far.
The first five survivors were taken to safety on Friday, some 40 hours after the avalanche hit on Wednesday.
They had reportedly taken refuge beneath a collapsed portion of ceiling, where they were able to light a fire to keep warm for two days.
The rescue has been hampered by deep snow blocking an access road.
There are also concerns that further avalanches could follow, Italian newspaper La Stampa reported.
January 2017
January 2016
The first person pulled out on Friday was an eight-year-old boy, the son of a holidaymaker, Giampiero Parete, who had gone to his car when the avalanche struck and first sounded the alarm by calling his boss.
The boy’s mother, Adriana, was pulled out next, telling rescue workers her six-year-old daughter was still trapped inside.
The little girl was also later saved and the family was reunited at a hospital in the coastal town of Pescara.
Hospital officials told the Associated Press news agency they had symptoms of hypothermia and dehydration, but were otherwise in good health.
After avalanche
Hotel in summer
Reports said all four children who survived did so because they were all playing in the same games room, that avoided the worst of the damage.
The latest rescues, of two men and two women, took place at about 03:00 local time (02:00 GMT) on Saturday.
Wednesday’s earthquakes included four stronger than magnitude 5, in a region already struggling with heavy snowfall that buried phone lines and took out power cables.
Many of the guests had gathered on the ground floor of the hotel to await evacuation following the earthquakes.
But the avalanche completely buried the hotel at about 17:00 (16:00 GMT) on Wednesday.
The force of the snow partially brought down the roof and, according to some reports, shifted the building 10m (32 feet) off its foundations.
Rescuers, who were forced to ski and shovel their way towards the site of the avalanche, were reportedly only dispatched hours later.
Rescuers are unsure of the exact total of people – guests and staff – who were at the hotel, but say it could be as many as 35.
As far as I know, there has been no official word on Gians friend Roberto.
Also, I just heard on NBC news that a family of five was rescued. I don’t think they are counted in the above story.
Marie, thank you so very much for this update.
God Bless YOU, Marie. Thank you again
Thank you, Cynthia and bless you too.
I just can’t seem to pull myself away from this news. Waiting for more rescues!
Let’s see..11 o’clock here. It’s about 5 AM in Italy. Waiting for the Italians to wake up.
We will have to continue to pray that they will find more people still alive and pray to keep safe all these brave people who are doing so much to rescue them.
Amen, Margaret!
Likewise Marie: Hoping to hear that more are rescued alive and that Gianluca’s friend & owner of the resort Roberto is also found alive and well. Many are praying for more miracles.
Thanks for the update. I am still in shock. Hope they find Roberto. How are the Ginobles doing. does anyone know? Joanie G
I copied this information from the website of Corriere della Sera (the Evening Courier) one of Italy’s best-known newspapers. While the news of nine persons rescued alive and another one with whom the rescuers are in contact but who has not yet been brought out is good, the remainder of the story is very sad. I have translated it from the Italian.
http://www.corriere.it/cronache/17_gennaio_21/urlo-papa-il-suo-stefano-biscotti-regalo-ludovica-fabio-rimasto-chiuso-caldaia-26505a2c-dfe5-11e6-8ee6-23c50cfdffbe.shtml
The report was written by Claudio Del Frate
“Headline: Giampaolo who cannot find his wife and the cry of Pop for his Stefano. Stories from the Rigopiano, the devastated hotel.
The relief of the one saved mingles with the pain and anguish of the one who sees hopes vanish. And at the hospital of Pescara, everyone thanks Quintino, the first person to raise the alarm about Rigopiano. Among the rescuers are also 10 refugees from Turin.
It is a time of relief and desperation. These are the hours in which the destinies of many who have been caught up in the tragedy of the hotel Rigopiano, until now bound together for 48 hours, come apart. Those who can once again embrace a relative rejoice; the others, for whom this joy is denied, remain with their anguish; and bit-by-bit, as time passes, they see the entrance of the specter that their dear one may not get out alive from the mountain of snow and rubble of the Rigopiano. The Pescara hospital and the base camp of the rescuers at Penne are the places of these “sliding doors”, the points in which, during these hours, such different stories intersect. At present, the reckoning is nine persons brought to safety, five extracted lifeless from the rubble and 23 still missing. The recovery operations are going forward in impossible conditions. In the afternoon the third victim was formally identified. She was Nadia Acconciamessa, the Mom of little Edoardo Di Carlo, who has been admitted to hospital, and also the wife of Sebastiano Di Carlo, still missing. The details were confirmed during the medical bulletin by Rossano Di Luzio, the director of healthcare of the Pescara hospital. Still ongoing is the identification of the other two bodies that have arrived at the hospital.”
The pain must be unbearable for everyone who is waiting for news of their loved ones. We must keep sending our prayers.
Italy’s main news bulletin started five minutes ago. They say that Roberto, the hotel owner and Gianluca’s friend, is still among the missing. Very sad.
Thanks for the update….I guess.
So sad.
My thoughts and prayers have been going heavenward ever since I heard the tragic news. May God be with the rescuers and those yet to be found. My heart is with Gianluca as he awaits news of his friend Roberto. God bless one and all.
Hello everyone, I just read some updates, there are no significant new except the fact that they heard noises but they could be the debris that settle. It has begun to snow, as if there was not enough snow, and climbed the risk of new avalanches.
And a fight against time, the men of the civil defense do their best, God tries to give them a hand.
😣
Marie thank you so much for your posts updating this devastating tragedy. It is hard to wrap my mind round the enormity of this disaster. I have been rejoicing for those that have been saved by the incredible rescuers and crying for those who are lost or yet to be found. And I want so much to hug our tender hearted Gianluca tight and comfort him in his sorrow. I am feeling so very sad, as all of you must be too,and praying that we will hear some good news tomorrow. Miracles do happen. We need one now ❤️💔❤️💔
I’m praying for one Joanie. Praying hard.
I just read a report that was updated 2 hrs ago on the website of the Sante Fe New Mexican. There have’nt been any more rescues, but this report is a lot more detailed than any other report that I have read.For instance it tell’s us who the people are that passed away, and some other detail’s about the rescue.Like the rest of you I am still praying for miracles🙏
My prayers are for Gianluca for the helplessness he mudt be feeilng. Gian I know God is enfolding you in HIS HEALING ARMS to help you understand. Keep praying prays are answered. God bless you.
Hello everyone, I read yesterday or the day before that Roberto died. I think it might have been on the All About Il Volo site, but it could have been someplace else. It appeared as a statement in an article. Tragic.
Hi Laura. I have just watched a report on RAI News 24 at 10:00 a.m. (Italian time). There is no change in the official position reported last night at 8.00 p.m. (Italian time) that Roberto is listed as missing. His is not one of the five bodies that have been recovered so far. All of those have been identified and named. It looks grim; but the rescuers have not yet given up all hope and the digging is continuing. Let us continue to pray for a miracle for all of the missing.
Hi Bernard, Thank you so much for your update information. I was just about to post additional information about the fact that I can not find the article which stated that as fact, unfortunately, but I had definitely read it within the last two days. I looked further this evening, just to check if the report was repeated elsewhere, but all other articles still state what you just posted, namely that he is still missing, Bernard, I wonder if you have heard or read about Roberto Del Rosso’s two beloved dogs being reported (on Jan. 20th in the IBTimes/ UK) to have been found wandering the streets in Villa Cupoli, a little village that is about 7 miles from the Hotel Rigopiano and they were recognized by a Bartender there, The article states that they are of the Maremma Sheepdog breed and that they are “an inseparable couple”, together since birth. People know them there and the article stated that it made them feel a little more hope concerning Roberto. The article stated that the dogs, Lupo and Nuvola, had a litter of puppies in December, but the people didn’t know what became of the puppies. Yes, Bernard, I’ll continue to pray along with you all for that miracle for all who haven’t been found yet. All the best to you and yours.
Laura, is not correct news of the death of Robert, Bernard is right, it is not part of the male bodies not yet recognized. The difficulty in the recognition I think is due to the fact that these people were tourists who were on Rigopiano for a holiday, maybe not all of their relatives were aware of this holiday and therefore does not warn of the lack thereof. All hotel employees and Roberto were the same people I met on the spot so easily recognizable.
Updates just now 9 people pulled alive, in addition to the two who had raised the alarm. It seems to have been perceived a tenth person under the rubble and are now trying to reach it.
The deceased persons are 5, all recognized, the last man to be recognized is the father of the little Edoardo saved yesterday and who has already lost his mother. Poor child the avalanche has led the way parents.
Now rescuers are coming to the kitchens, if refugees are there, they could find food also.
On the news they said that 3/4 of the hotel was scoured, found no other bodies so the hope is that they can find them in any compartment in which they were able to resist thanks to an air bubble.
Hope helps us and our thoughts and prayers are with all of them, missing and rescuers.
Yes, Daniela; I tried to explain that very fact in my second comment above. I agree. I agree and always have understood how having hope matters.
One more thought: After I learned last night that Roberto’s two dogs had escaped the avalanche and were found wandering in that village seven miles away, it made me simply wonder if the dogs were already outside the hotel or how they got out of the building if they were not outside when the avalanche occurred. That led to my wondering that if they were already outside, might Roberto have already been outside with them and if he was, could he be found outside somewhere. Having no knowledge of the habits and routines of Roberto and his beloved dogs, it was just thoughts about it; that’s all. May he be found soon, of course, along with all the others.
This is the post of Gianluca just now.
Gianluca Ginoble
35 minutes ago · Roseto degli Abruzzi, Abruzzo ·
Thanks to all the rescuers who these days have never stopped and continue to save lives and to all people who are working to release the thousands of families invaded by snow in the interior of our country Abruzzo, also from Roseto degli Abruzzi, the Ultras group of our basketball team is giving its contribution! Big guys. We’ll make it.
thanks much, everyone, for all the info and updates.