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| Mass funeral for Italy quake dead | Mass funeral for Italy quake dead |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Thousands of people have attended a state funeral for 205 people who died in the Abruzzo earthquake, as Italy holds a day of mourning. | |
| Victims' families and top politicians were among mourners at the funeral near the damaged city of L'Aquila. | |
| Correspondents say the funeral was an incredibly sad and moving occasion, for many the first chance to come together as a community since the earthquake. | |
| Pope Benedict XVI urged quake survivors to be courageous and hopeful. | |
| "In these dramatic hours when a fearful tragedy has blighted this land, I feel spiritually present, amongst all of you, and I want to share your anguish and I want to implore God to grant eternal rest to the victims," he said in an address read out at the start of the service by his personal secretary, Monsignor Georg Gaenswein. | "In these dramatic hours when a fearful tragedy has blighted this land, I feel spiritually present, amongst all of you, and I want to share your anguish and I want to implore God to grant eternal rest to the victims," he said in an address read out at the start of the service by his personal secretary, Monsignor Georg Gaenswein. |
| href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/europe_enl_1239358152/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/europe_enl_1239358152/html/1.stm', '1239358231', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=700,height=378,left=312,top=100'); return false;">Mourners gather for Good Friday's open-air ceremony in L'Aquila href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/europe_enl_1239358152/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/europe_enl_1239358152/html/1.stm', '1239358231', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=700,height=378,left=312,top=100'); return false;" >Enlarge Image Earlier the government extended the search for people who could still be alive under the rubble until Sunday. | |
| But rescue workers believe the chances of finding anyone alive are remote and so will focus on recovering bodies and assessing the extent of the damage. | But rescue workers believe the chances of finding anyone alive are remote and so will focus on recovering bodies and assessing the extent of the damage. |
| Aftershocks are continuing to hamper rescue efforts. On Thursday evening a tremor measuring 4.9, the fourth-largest since the earthquake, brought down a badly damaged four-storey building in the centre of L'Aquila. | Aftershocks are continuing to hamper rescue efforts. On Thursday evening a tremor measuring 4.9, the fourth-largest since the earthquake, brought down a badly damaged four-storey building in the centre of L'Aquila. |
| The death toll was raised to 289 on Friday morning. | The death toll was raised to 289 on Friday morning. |
| Christian message | Christian message |
| The earthquake victims were honoured in an open-air service at a police training base outside L'Aquila. | |
| The Vatican granted a special dispensation for the service. Good Friday, marking Jesus Christ's crucifixion, is the only day of the year on which Catholics do not celebrate Mass. | |
| Dozens of coffins bedecked with flowers lay in four rows at the funeral site, attended by grieving relatives. | Dozens of coffins bedecked with flowers lay in four rows at the funeral site, attended by grieving relatives. |
| class="" href="/1/hi/in_pictures/7993487.stm"> In pictures: Italy quake funeral class="" href="/1/hi/uk/7986352.stm"> Live interactive map class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7986078.stm"> Historic L'Aquila reels | |
| Small white caskets containing children's bodies lay on top of their parents'. | |
| The BBC's Helen Fawkes, at the funeral, says TV pictures of the event did not show those on the edge of the plaza who were finding it too difficult to take part. | |
| The Mass was celebrated by the Archbishop of L'Aquila, Giuseppe Molinari, and a senior representative of the Pope, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. | |
| At the end of the Christian service, an imam read a prayer. Six Muslim victims are among those being buried. | |
| Afterwards, the coffins were carried away in a procession for burial in L'Aquila's cemetery. | |
| President Giorgio Napolitano and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi also attended. Mr Berlusconi was seen comforting mourners before the ceremony, at times himself visibly upset. | |
| Visibly overcome with emotion, Archbishop Molinari spoke earlier to about 300 worshippers in one of the large tent camps for the homeless. | Visibly overcome with emotion, Archbishop Molinari spoke earlier to about 300 worshippers in one of the large tent camps for the homeless. |
| "I can't say any learned words to explain what happened but I can say that Christ has risen," he said, speaking just before Easter. | "I can't say any learned words to explain what happened but I can say that Christ has risen," he said, speaking just before Easter. |
| The Italian government has moved to ease financial pressures on the survivors. | |
| It has approved a package of emergency financial measures providing money to pay rents, and suspending gas and electricity bills for two months. | It has approved a package of emergency financial measures providing money to pay rents, and suspending gas and electricity bills for two months. |
| Building standards | Building standards |
| Meanwhile, President Napolitano has said poor construction is to blame for many of the deaths in Monday's disaster. | Meanwhile, President Napolitano has said poor construction is to blame for many of the deaths in Monday's disaster. |
| On Thursday, Mr Napolitano visited both L'Aquila and the devastated nearby village of Onna, as well as one of the camps sheltering some of the 28,000 people left homeless by the quake. | On Thursday, Mr Napolitano visited both L'Aquila and the devastated nearby village of Onna, as well as one of the camps sheltering some of the 28,000 people left homeless by the quake. |
| Citing "widespread irresponsibility" in the design and construction of modern buildings, he called for an investigation to find out how it was possible that essential buildings standards had not been applied. | Citing "widespread irresponsibility" in the design and construction of modern buildings, he called for an investigation to find out how it was possible that essential buildings standards had not been applied. |
| Modern buildings that suffered partial or total collapse in the quake include a hospital, city buildings, the provincial seat and university buildings, AFP news agency reports. | Modern buildings that suffered partial or total collapse in the quake include a hospital, city buildings, the provincial seat and university buildings, AFP news agency reports. |
| At least 16 children, including a five-month-old baby, were killed by Monday's 6.3-magnitude earthquake. | At least 16 children, including a five-month-old baby, were killed by Monday's 6.3-magnitude earthquake. |
| "As long as we know that there are people under the rubble, we will keep searching even if we're sure they're dead," one fireman told the Reuters news agency. | "As long as we know that there are people under the rubble, we will keep searching even if we're sure they're dead," one fireman told the Reuters news agency. |
| "Families need to know what happened to their loved ones." | "Families need to know what happened to their loved ones." |