Penne: A huge avalanche swallowed up a luxury mountain hotel in central Italy after a series of strong earthquakes rocked the area, burying up to 30 people under tonnes of snow and debris, officials said on Thursday.

More than 24 hours after the avalanche hit, the Civil Protection department said just two bodies had been recovered. Rescue workers were continuing their search for other victims or possible survivors as night fell.

Titti Postiglione, head of the department`s emergency office, said more avalanches were possible in the Gran Sasso mountain range in the central Abruzzo region because the temperature was rising, while further quakes were also possible.

"This is an enormously complex rescue operation," she said.

The gabled peaks of parts of the roof and a row of windows were the only sections of the four-storey Hotel Rigopiano still visible after the wall of snow smashed into the four-star spa resort early on Wednesday evening.

"This is a tragedy of enormous proportions," said Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin. 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 hotel is almost completely destroyed. We`ve called out but we`ve heard no replies, no voices," said Antonio Crocetta, a member of the Alpine Rescue squad who was on the scene.