Many Feared Dead In Italian Avalanche; Up To 30 Buried

Rescuers were working Thursday to help people caught in an avalanche in the mountains of central Italy, as media reports suggested many had died and up to 30 people buried under snow. "There are many deaths," said Antonio Crocetta, the head of a mountain rescue team, according to a BBC report. "Around 30 people are unaccounted for, between guests and workers at the Hotel Rigopiano in Farindola," said Fabrizio Curcio, head of Italy's civil protection department, according to a Reuters report. The avalanche hit the hotel close to the Gran Sasso mountain in the Abruzzo region after a series of strong earthquakes in the area Wednesday, reports said.