Rescuers are preparing to work through the night as hopes of finding survivors dwindled after a huge avalanche swallowed up a luxury mountain hotel in Central Italy.

Local authorities said about 30 people had been in the building at the time, including two children.

Only a couple of survivors had been found, two men who had been outside when the disaster struck.

The rescue operation has been hampered by metres of snow which has fallen on the Gran Sasso mountain range in the Central Abruzzo Region in recent days.

The disaster struck just hours after four earthquakes with a magnitude of above 5.0 hit Central Italy, sparking fears about possible avalanches.

Tags: civil protection chief says, Rescue work to continue through the night at avalanche-hit hotel