Investigators in Pescara
probing last Wednesday's Rigopiano Hotel disaster said on Monday
that a prefecture official in the Abruzzo city called the hotel
director about one hour after the four-star resort was hit by an
avalanche and was told that everything was OK.
The prefecture official called the director, Bruno Di
Tommaso, who was also in Pescara and not in the Farindola
mountain resort, after chef Giampiero Parete called when the
avalanche struck, begging for rescue teams to intervene because
his wife and children were trapped inside along with the other
hotel guests.
Parete, who was staying at the hotel, had walked out to get
his wife a medicine from the car when the avalanche struck.
According to investigators, Parete's call could have been
underestimated and initially ignored, along with other phone
calls, because Di Tommaso said at the time he had not heard
about the incident.
Pescara prosecutors and police met on Monday to discuss the
investigation on possible disaster and multiple manslaughter
charges.
Rescue teams were continuing to work around the clock on
Monday to look for possible survivors and bodies.
Twenty-three people are still missing.
Eleven people survived the disaster, including nine who were
rescued under the snow and debris, and six have been found dead.
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