義大利南部的坎帕尼亞、29日發生一起嚴重車禍事故，一輛大型遊覽車從高架橋上、翻落30公尺深山谷，造成至少37人死亡，12人傷勢嚴重，其中還包括了三名小孩。

支離破碎的遊覽車看起來觸目驚心，幾乎找不到完整的殘骸，車上近50名乘客，其中36人當場死亡，事發當時是義大利當地的28日深夜，這輛滿載朝聖 信徒的巴士，當天才結束朝聖之旅，正從義大利南部的坎帕尼亞開往那不勒斯，車子卻失控追撞前車，最後衝出高架橋，墜落30公尺深的谷底。

儘管大批救護人員緊急出動，想辦法用電鋸切開車箱搶救生還者，但墜落谷底的遊覽車嚴重扭曲變形，車上超過2/3的乘客當場死亡，其餘的也狀況危急， 其中還包括三名小孩，目擊者表示當時巴士的車速正常，但在超車過程中卻突然失控，由於司機也當場死亡，當局只能調閱監視器以及行車記錄器進行調查。(民視 新聞李慧芝綜合報導)

Italy coach crash: At least 38 dead near Avellino

The BBC's Alan Johnston says the coach "ripped through the guard-rail" when it plunged off the flyover

A coach has plunged off a flyover in southern Italy leaving at least 38 people dead in the country's worst road accident for decades.

The coach hit several vehicles before smashing through a barrier and toppling down a steep slope near the town of Avellino, in the Campania region.

At least 10 people were injured, some of them seriously.

The coach was taking about 50 people, including children, back to Naples following a pilgrimage.

The cause of the accident is not yet known. Some reports say the vehicle was travelling at speed.

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At the scene

Alan Johnston BBC News, Avellino

Most of the wreck of the bus has already been taken away but you can still see parts of it: a couple of rows of seats, and a chunk of the concrete from the guard-rail that failed to keep the vehicle up on the road.

In among the debris I saw some more personal items: a pair of women's shoes, some silver flip flops, and what looked like a child's stuffed toy.

Just the sort of thing you would expect people to have with them on a family excursion like this, on a summer weekend.

The head of the local fire brigade division, Alessio Barbarulo, said barriers on bridges would normally prevent such accidents but "evidently it seems the impact was so strong that even the barrier gave way".

A survivor said the driver, who was among the dead, appeared to have lost control of the bus, possibly after a tyre punctured.

Transport Minister Maurizio Lupi said the vehicle had passed its annual inspection in March, and there was no indication of technical problems.

Tests are being carried out on the driver's body as part of the investigation into what caused the accident.

TV footage showed smashed vehicles on the flyover and shrouded bodies lined up by the side of a road.

The Naples-Bari motorway was closed to traffic because of the accident.

The bus dropped 30m (98ft), coming to rest in heavy undergrowth after smashing through the guard-rail.

The final number of victims remains unclear, with local officials saying 38 died while the transport ministry in Rome spoke of 39.

The injured were taken to hospitals in Avellino, Salerno and Nola, Ansa news agency said.

They include the occupants the six cars caught up in the collision. Six of those hurt are children.

Those on board had been visiting visiting the town of Telese Terme, known for its hot springs, and the nearby birthplace of Padre Pio, one of Italy's most popular saints.

On a visit to Greece, Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta said the accident was "a huge tragedy".

Exactly 10 years ago, another accident on the same stretch of motorway claimed six lives and injured 11 other people.

Photojournalist Sandro di Domenico: "The scene was horrific"