A hotel in Italy was hit by an avalanche early Thursday morning, trapping at least 30 people including children, said a report.

Italian rescuers dug frantically through the wall of snow, which was triggered by a string of earthquakes, in search of survivers at Hotel Rigopiano. Officials fear many dead, said a report in Washington Post.

The quakes, all measuring more than five magnitude, struck close to Amatrice, the mountain town devastated by an August earthquake that left nearly 300 people dead.