The avalanche was thought to have been triggered by a series of earthquakes which struck central Italy yesterday (January 18).

Relief teams worked overnight to reach guests and staff at the Hotel Rigopiano, near to the Gran Sasso mountain in the Abruzzo region.

Antonio Crocetta, the head of a mountain rescue team, was quoted as saying "There are many deaths," BBC News reports.

Around 30 people are believed to have been inside the Hotel Rigopiano at the time of the avalanche.

Following the avalanche, local residents in the nearby town of Farindola alerted emergency services after reports the hotel’s roof had partly collapsed.

Although due to a snowstorm and blocked routes, access to the hotel was made difficult.

Italian media reported that the first rescuers only managed to reach the hotel on skis at 04:00 (03:00 GMT) this morning.

Central Italy was hit by a succession of four earthquakes yesterday with additional tremors reported overnight.