FARINDOLA — 2017 · Major Tragedy
Hotel Rigopiano Avalanche
On 18 January 2017, after a series of earthquakes shook central Italy, Hotel Rigopiano at the foot of the Gran Sasso massif was buried by a huge avalanche at 16:48. Guests and staff, trapped at the hotel because heavy snow had blocked the roads, had asked for help to be evacuated during the day. The avalanche shifted and destroyed the building. Rescuers could only reach the site hours later; 11 people were pulled alive from the rubble, the last of them after 58 hours. Twenty-nine people died. In February 2023 a court in Pescara convicted five people, including Farindola's mayor for failing to order an evacuation; the acquittal of senior officials such as the former prefect of Pescara angered the families.
- Date
- 2017
- Place
- Abruzzo, Italy, Farindola, IT
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 42.4433, 13.8028 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 18 January 2017A series of earthquakes struck; those stranded at the hotel asked for help.
- 18 January 2017, 16:48An avalanche destroyed Hotel Rigopiano.
- 20 January 2017Survivors began to be found in the rubble; 11 were rescued in total.
- February 2023A Pescara court convicted five people and acquitted senior officials.
Sources
- BBC News — Ten found alive in Rigopiano hotel bbc.com ↗
- The Guardian — Italy avalanche rescuers theguardian.com ↗
- Wikipedia — Rigopiano avalanche en.wikipedia.org ↗
- BBC News
- The Guardian
- Wikipedia
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.