The bus crash occurred near the town of Monteforte Irpino, about 40 miles inland from Naples. The bus driver lost control of the vehicle, hitting several cars that were slowed by heavy traffic. Witnesses say they heard the sound of a blown tire just before the bus veered and plunged off the road.
There are some conflicting reports about the place of the excursion the bus was returning from. First reports said the passengers had spent the day in Puglia, an area on the east coast known for religious shrines. Later it was reported that the bus had been bringing people home from a thermal spa in the town of Benevento. Most passengers were from the Campania area around Naples.
Firefighters and paramedics have arrived to the scene. Rescuers extracted bodies from the mangled bus and from underneath the wreckage. They had to cut through the metal with electric saws to better probe the interior of the bus. According to local authorities, the bus driver was among the dead.
Last week’s fatal traffic accidents reignited international debate on transport safety, with aircraft companies joining the lead and putting plane security under close scrutiny.
Radio Voice of Russia Brussels correspondent Katya Ivanova.
So what has the reaction been from EU authorities so far to the latest accident in Italy?
We spoke to the source in the European commission and he told us that despite the fact that such 2 large scale accidents happened in a row, the overall amount of road accidents has been declining in the EU over past decades and in 2010 the European commission adopted a new road safety program. It aims to reduce road death in Europe, to cut it in half in the next decade. So, there is the large amount of measures already in place in the EU. The program features improved safety measures for vehicles such as for example mandatory automatic emergency breaking system for buses, mandatory speed limits and collision warnings. And of course program implies better enforcement.
More than 100 people have been killed in two major tragedies on transport in Europe. Is that a coincidence or a sign that changes are needed in EU regulation?
In every accident there is partly a technical problem and a human factor. Technical problems are believed to be behind the recent accident but for example the driver of the derailed Spanish train is now being accused of reckless driving and he admitted that he was driving the train too fast. So, there are both.
What do Europeans say? Are they afraid of travelling now?
 Yes, of course. Events like this are horrifying and certain days of mourning were held in Santiago but trains and buses remain the most popular means of transport in Europe and sometimes the easiest and the only way to travel between small towns. So, of course people are afraid and they are impressed with such a terrible accident but they just have to continue using this system