The passengers were returning to Naples after a pilgrimage to Pietrelcina, the birthplace of Saint Pio, who was canonized in 2002.
The driver of the bus is dead. Tests are being performed on his body to establish, if possible, why he has losing the vehicle’s control. The real case of the accident is not yet known. What is clearly instead is the fact that it was a big impact, so even the barrier which normally prevent such accidents was destroyed. The Naples- Bari highway had been closed to traffic, due to this accident.
The officials are investigating the circumstances of this dramatic event. Maurizio Lupi, the Italian Transport Minister clarified that the vehicle had passed its annual inspection in March, without technical problems. The Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letto appreciated that the accident was “a huge tragedy.”
