The first funerals for victims killed in the hotel Rigopiano in central Italy, which was destroyed by an avalanche last week, have been held. <br /><br /> On Tuesday, crowds gathered in the hilltop town of Farindola for the burial of Alessandro Gincaterino, the hotel’s chief waiter. He had stayed to do a double shift so a colleague would not have to make the treacherous trip to the mountain resort through the snow. <br /><br /> In total, 16 bodies have now been recovered from the ruins of the wrecked hotel as rescue teams continue the desperate round-the-clock search for survivors. <br /><br /> So far, 11 people have been pulled out alive, while 13 are still missing. <br /><br /> Officials admit hopes of finding anyone else alive are fading fast, but they haven’t completely given up. <br /><br /> Teams are said to be tunneling through think stone walls to rooms they believe are still in-tact and where people may have managed to survive. <br /><br /> Meanwhile, an investigation has been launched into whether a series of missed communications and a failure to spot risks could have contributed to the tragedy and the number of dead.<br />
