They were returning home to Budapest, the youth of the coach bus that caught fire last night on the A4, near the Verona East junction, after colliding with a pillar. Aboard were a group of students, aged 14 to 18 years, their teachers and two drivers; 54 people in all. The death toll is very high: 16 students were killed, 26 were seriously injured, while 12 were uninjured.
"We are deeply saddened by this tragedy, and we share the pain that rends the hearts of many families and the entire Hungarian community," said Pastor Stefano Paris, president of the Italian Union of the Seventh-day Adventist Christian churches. "We pray that the Lord will comfort and console with His love those who have lost their beloved; to heal the wounded and soothe the psychological suffering of the survivors, after this frightening experience. We remember Jesus' promise of a day when God shall wipe away all tears, and death and pain will be no more."
The Hungarian students went on a trip to France and were passing through Italy directly to their country, when the bus in which they were traveling crashed into the pillar of a bridge and immediately caught fire. The authorities have opened investigations to understand the cause of the accident.
"I invite the Adventist churches in Italy to join in prayer for all those who have been affected by this tragedy," concluded President Paris.
The Public Relations Department for the Inter-European Region of the Seventh-day Adventists also shares these condolences and prays the Lord will support all those that have been affected by this tragedy.
