The death toll from a devastating avalanche which hit an Italian hotel last week stands at 29, as rescue efforts draw to a close.

Firefighters issued the update after a week of rescue efforts at the isolated Hotel Rigopiano in the central Abruzzo region.

In total 11 people survived the disaster, which took place on January 18, including all four children staying at the resort.

Italy's prime minister has acknowledged delays and "malfunctioning" in the initial rescue bid after local authorities brushed off the first alarms about the avalanche.

But Paolo Gentiloni said on Wednesday that now was not the time to look for scapegoats.

In a briefing to parliament, Mr Gentiloni stressed the unprecedented storm that unfolded last week.

More than six feet of snow fell in 72 hours on the hotel, followed by a series of powerful earthquakes that shook all of central Italy.

The resulting landslide and avalanche dumped upwards of 60,000 tonnes of snow, rocks and uprooted trees on top of the spa resort, burying the 40 people inside.

Two people escaped and called for help, but the Pescara prefect's office brushed off the alarm, thinking it was a joke and that the hotel was safe.

The rescue operation only got under way an hour or two later, and it took some eight hours for the first crews to reach the site, on foot and skis, because the roads were impassable.

Prosecutors said post-mortem examinations on the first six victims showed most died from the initial physical trauma of the hotel collapsing, with some also showing signs of hypothermia and asphyxiation.

Mr Gentiloni has said a criminal investigation is underway to determine responsibilities.