Italy held a state funeral on Friday for victims of its worst earthquake in three decades, as the death toll climbed to 289 and survivors voiced anger that houses simply collapsed. Thousands of mourners prayed before 205 coffins covered by flowers and photos of the dead, laid out on the parade ground of a police academy in the mountain city of LAquila, the worst hit by Mondays 6.3 magnitude quake, before being taken for burial.
Small white caskets with the bodies of children lay on their parents coffins, some with a favourite toy placed on top. The youngest was a five-month-old boy, killed with his mother. "These dead will always be with us, each one of them. The children, the students, all of them," said 59-year-old mourner Daniela. "Im filled with pain but we must remain hopeful. Were a strong people here, Ive seen lots of courage and solidarity."
Piero Faro, paying his respects to a family friend who died with her son, said sadness was mixed with "a lot of anger. Their building simply disintegrated. This should not have happened." Some mourners kissed and hugged coffins at a mass led by the second highest priest in the Vatican, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. "I feel spiritually present in your midst and share your anguish," said a message read out from Pope Benedict.
Flags flew at half mast on a national day of mourning, shops lowered shutters, airports stopped take-offs for a minutes silence and traffic wardens removed their bright jackets.
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi appeared emotional as he offered comfort to bereaved relatives. The billionaire premier offered to put up some of the thousands of people made homeless in some of his luxurious villas dotted around the country. "I will do what I can too, by offering some of my houses," said the 72-year-old media mogul, Italys second richest man.
Five days after the earthquake, rescuers were still sifting through the rubble. A 53-year-old woman and her teenage daughter were found dead in the wreckage of their home overnight. But the Civil Protection agency said the search was almost over. Fire-fighters accompanied some people into their homes to retrieve personal items as soldiers guarded against looters. Berlusconi said four Romanians had been arrested for looting. Violent aftershocks, some felt in nearby Rome, continued to shake Abruzzo region overnight, further terrifying survivors.
The number of people made homeless by the quake has risen to almost 40,000, Berlusconi said, with 24,000 living in emergency camps and 15,000 given shelter in hotels or private homes. "Beneath the rubble can be felt the wish to start over, rebuild and dream once more," said Cardinal Bertone, voicing the hope of "rebirth" which Christians celebrate on Easter Sunday.
But some survivors did not find much comfort in religion. One estimate put the damage at up to 3 billion euros ($4 billion), but its impact on Italys nearly 2-trillion-euro economy, already mired in recession, is expected to be limited. The government has announced an enquiry after President Giorgio Napolitano said shoddy construction may be behind the collapse of modern buildings that should have been quake-proof.