ROME, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- About 100 tourists and residents were evacuated from the Alps after an avalanche struck overnight in the Vallelunga ski resort area, local media reported Tuesday.
The avalanche reportedly "came close to" the four-star Langtauferer Hof Hotel located at altitude of 1,870 meters in the Alto Adige province bordering on Austria, an area also known by its German name, South Tyrol.
"Rescue operations ongoing to evacuate tourists isolated in Langtauferer Hof Hotel," a local paper called Trentino tweeted, along with footage of a military helicopter in flight over snowy slopes.
"Evacuation of a hotel and some homes...after overnight avalanche came close to Langtauferer Hof Hotel (and) Erlebnisschule educational farm," tweeted TgCom24 private news channel.
"A landing zone has been set up in front of the hotel for the helicopters, which will have to bring to safety 75 tourists and dozens of local residents," the tweet continued.
ANSA news agency reported that two Army and one Alpine Rescue helicopters were fevacuating "about a 100 people" from the area. There were no reports of any injuries.
Also last night, a "large-scale" avalanche cut off a state road in the Formazza Valley in the Piedmont region, near the Swiss border. The mass of snow did not hit buildings or people, but canine rescue units searched the area to make sure no one had been buried, ANSA reported.
In the northwestern Val d'Aosta region, access was restored Tuesday to the ski resort town of Cervinia, where tourists and residents had been isolated for 43 hours, Sky TG24 private news channel reported.
The area received over six meters of snow since December and almost a meter of snow fell over the weekend into Monday, Sky TG24 said.
The weather service has issued a level 4 (on a scale of 1-5) avalanche risk warning throughout the Alps from East to West due to record snowfall followed by rising temperatures, making it more likely for large masses of snow to detach from the sides of the mountains.
Authorities have exhorted skiers to stick to the marked trails and not go off-piste, or off the official ski slopes, the Sky TG24 weather reporter said.
