Mass funeral held for Italy quake victims

Hundreds of mourners on Tuesday gathered in Italy’s city of Amatrice for the mass funeral of 38 people, who were amongst those killed during an earthquake on August 24.

Coffins were lined up under a marque, with heavy rains pouring as preparations were underway.

Just hours before the funeral, locals and authorities had a minor altercation over where the bodies would be buried.

The bodies were originally taken to Rieti and officials said it would be easier to hold a mass funeral there rather than in the devastated Amatrice, but Prime Minister Matteo Renzi ordered a change of plan in view of anger from the locals.

They had even said they would boycott the funeral should it be held in Rieti.

Gravediggers worked through the night hurriedly preparing the new funeral site.

Meanwhile attempts to recover bodies from the rubble continues. Italy was hit by a 6.2 magnitude quake last Wednesday which killed almost 300 people including foreigners, mostly in Amatrice.

Reuters