Avalanche buries hotel

At least 30 people were missing in central Italy Thursday after a massive avalanche, likely triggered by a series of earthquakes, buried a luxury alpine hotel — where two guests texted a frantic plea: “Help, we’re dying of cold!”

Rescuers on skis battled blizzard conditions to reach the Hotel Rigopiano, located about 4,000 feet above sea level in the Abruzzo region, after it was slammed by a 6-foot-high wall of snow, according to the ANSA news agency.

Three bodies were recovered as heavy vehicles struggled to get to the scene, where guests had been assembled on the ground floor before the avalanche struck Wednesday to await their evacuation following the quakes.

Two men were found alive outside after they sent an urgent missive via WhatsApp, officials said.

“I lost everything. My wife and my two kids,” Giampietro Parete, 38, said. “I am alive because I went to get something from my car.”