Rescuers Searching Overnight for People Trapped by Avalanche at Italian Hotel

— -- Rescue operations are continuing in Italy to reach more than 20 people believed to be trapped under rubble and snow after an avalanche buried a mountainside hotel, the Italian deputy minister of the Interior said.

The avalanche at Hotel Rigopiano on the Gran Sasso mountain, about 30 miles from the coastal city of Pescara, occurred after a series of earthquakes shook central Italy on Wednesday. The snow pushed through the windows of the four-star hotel, shattering glass, blocking rooms and stopping rescuers from getting inside.

Italy Hotel Buried by Avalanche After Earthquakes

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Three puppies stay close to each other at the Hotel Rigopiano a day before an avalanche buried the hotel, on Jan. 17, 2017. Rescue crews say they have found three puppies alive in the rubble.

Marisa Basilavecchia via AP Photo

Rescue teams were initially blocked by fallen trees and heavy snow, but finally reached the hotel by helicopter and by foot.

Crews today were searching for around 20 people who were staying in the hotel and seven workers who were reported to be inside, Walter Milan, Head of Communication for the Mountain Rescue Unit, said in Italian, according to The Associated Press.

This morning authorities said they had not received any responses via phone or text from those inside the hotel.

Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said the responding rescuers were showing their "sense of duty" and were working in very hard conditions, Reuters reported.

ABC News' Jennifer Eccleston and Phoebe Natanson contributed to this report.