Mass Funeral for Italy Quake Victims

by Rachel Nixon | April 8, 2009 at 10:10 am

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A mass funeral will be held in Italy on Friday for the victims of the earthquake that struck the Abruzzo region on Monday.

Some 260 people are now known to have died, and 1,200 people were injured in the powerful quake which had its epicentre near the medieval city of L'Aquila.

A mass funeral will take place in the the regional capital L'Aquila on Friday as well as a day of national mourning.

The Bishop of L'Aquila, Giuseppe Molinari, will conduct the mass, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has said.

Italy began holding the first funerals for the victims on Wednesday, which were attended by thousands of people.

About 28,000 people have been made homeless by the quake, and thousands are being sheltered in tent cities around L'Aquila.

But victims said more tents were needed as many people continued to sleep in their cars with night-time temperatures approaching zero.

At least 200 homeless survivors were turned away from one of the camps because there wasn't enough room.

One woman shouted: "Shame on you. They say everything is under control but we can't even get into the tents."

Some survivors who made it into the tented villages said they had been cold because heaters were not working.

As Easter approaches, masses have been cancelled because of damage to churches, so prayers will be said in the tent cities instead. Pope Benedict XVI is expected to visit the devastated area after Easter.

In a public statement made at the Vatican, the Pope praised the relief operations as an example of how solidarity can help overcome "even the most painful trials."

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