A number of children have been confirmed to be among the missing holidaymakers caught up in the avalanche that engulfed Hotel Rigopiano yesterday afternoon.
Seismic activity is thought to have triggered a deadly avalanche, causing a wall of snow up to 2m high to hit the hotel, located in the eastern lower slopes of the Gran Sasso mountain, destroying it almost completely.
Up to 30 people are missing, with hopes of finding anyone alive fading fast.
Central Italy has been hit by seismic activity in recent months. Almost 300 people were killed last August after an earthquake flattened the small town of Amatrice.