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Search for survivors at Italian hotel avalanche site ends

The search ended with 29 confirmed deaths and 11 survivors.

By Ed Adamczyk
The search for survivors of an an earthquake and avalanche near Penne, Italy, ended Thursday with 29 confirmed deaths and 11 survivors. An avalanche buried the Hotel Rigopiano on January 18. Photo by EPA
The search for survivors of an an earthquake and avalanche near Penne, Italy, ended Thursday with 29 confirmed deaths and 11 survivors. An avalanche buried the Hotel Rigopiano on January 18. Photo by EPA

Jan. 26 (UPI) -- The search for survivors at an Italian mountain resort struck by an earthquake and avalanche ended Thursday with a death toll of 29, Italy's Civil Protection Department announced.

Eleven survivors, including four children, were found during rescue efforts at the four-star Hotel Rigopiano, near the city of Penne, after the Jan. 18 avalanche.

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Confirmation of the end of the recovery operation came shortly after the National Fire Brigade reported two more bodies were found.

More than 6 feet of snow fell in 72 hours, an unprecedented amount, followed by a series of powerful earthquakes that shook mountainous central Italy. The rescue attempt was dangerous, with bad weather and the risk of additional avalanches.

The rescue also was slowed when officials brushed off initial reports from the hotel about the emergency, believing it was a hoax. The response began one to two hours later after the first emergency calls were made, and it took about eight hours for the first rescue crews to reach the hotel as roads became impassible.

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Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said Wednesday in a briefing to Parliament that it was not the time to name scapegoats, although he ordered a criminal investigation to determine responsibilities.

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