Thirty people were reported missing presumed dead after the avalanche destroyed the hotel in central Italy on Wednesday afternoon.
A young girl is among the survivors, along with three men and two women, who were discovered trapped under a slab of rock buried in the snow and journalists at the scene are reporting five of them have now been extracted from the scene.
Emergency medical helicopters are on their way.
A spokesman for the fire department, Luca Cari, said: "They are alive and we are talking to them. This is wonderful news. It brings a feeling of pure joy.
"Rescue workers are still working to extricate them.
"They will be taken immediately to hospital. It's truly a miracle. This will redouble the search efforts.
"We don't know how they survived in the cold or exactly where they were found in the hotel. But we couldn't wish for any better news."
EPA
Italian rescue workers unexpectedly find six people alive in the wreckage
So far two bodies have been found and Italian media said two other bodies have been located.
More than 7,000 people worked through the night in a bid to carve a path through the thick snow, which came hurtling down the mountain side after a 5.2 magnitude earthquake in the town of Farindola.
Italy avalanche: Devastating pictures after deadly avalanche
Thu, January 19, 2017
A devastating avalanche has hit a hotel in Italy, leaving up to 30 missing.
Play slideshow
Get Quotes on Home Insurance
1 of 7
An avalanche buried the Hotel Rigopiano in Abruzzo.
ITALIANPOLICE
Rescuers are desperately trying to free the six survivors, which includes a little girl
In places the snow was mounded 13ft high.
More to follow…
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Tumblr
RSS