Thirty people still missing at Italian hotel buried by massive avalanche

A still image taken from a video shows a survivor, rescued by Italian firefighters, at the Hotel Rigopiano in Farindola, central Italy, which was hit by an avalanche, in this January 21, 2017 handout provided by Italy's Firefighters. Vigili del Fuoco/Handout via REUTERS

PENNE, Italy (Reuters) - A total of nine people have been pulled alive from the rubble of a hotel demolished on Wednesday by an avalanche in central Italy, although officials said five have died and an estimated 23 more are still missing.

Fireman dug the survivors, including four children, from beneath tons of snow and debris at the Hotel Rigopiano on Friday and Saturday, moving cautiously for fear that air pockets left when it was razed by a tsunami of snow might collapse.