Survivors of the avalanche that destroyed an Italian hotel have revealed how they ate snow to stay hydrated during the 58 hours they were trapped.
So far nine people have been rescued after Rigopiano hotel in central Italy was hit by an avalanche estimated to have weighed approximately 120,000 tons.
Five bodies have been found so far and rescuers continue to work despite poor weather conditions as officials say they are hopeful for more survivors from the 24 who are still missing.
Georgia Galassi was one of those to have been pulled out alive. When the avalanche hit, the 22-year-old was sitting on a coach in the lobby of the hotel with her fiancé.
"Everything crumbled and I could not understand a thing," she told Italy's Corriere della Sera.
"The only thing we ate was ice. We had a lot and this kept us going.
"I lost count of time, and still haven't got it back. But I think it lasted two days, maybe a bit more," she said.
Ms Glassi said her fiancé, 25-year-old Vincenzo Forti, supported everyone who was trapped on the coach throughout and hummed to keep their spirits up.
They heard a mechanical sound and then human voices as rescuers reached them.
She described saying, "I am Georgia, and I am alive,” to her rescuer as the “most beautiful thing” she has ever said.
