Service held for victims of coach crash tragedy

"This tragedy has hit everyone. It was a punch to our hearts and affected all of the city," said Salvatore Gritti, who lost a friend in the crash.

Many of the victims, including young children, came from Pozzuoli, just outside Naples, and many were related.

Prosecutors have opened an investigation into the accident focusing on suspicions of manslaughter, but no charges have been laid and no clear indications have yet emerged as to what may have caused the crash.

An autopsy has been ordered on the body of the driver, who died in the accident, and investigators have also been examining the wreckage of the bus for evidence of possible mechanical failure, as well as the guard rails it broke through as it plunged off the road.

As the formal period of mourning began, Italian newspapers attempted to reconstruct the last minutes before the crash, during which the coach was seen travelling at high speed down the A16 highway near Naples despite clearly marked speed limits.

The coach hit a number of cars and witnesses have reported seeing damage to the bodywork of the vehicle and an open or missing back door, suggesting the driver was having trouble controlling the bus before the crash.