Prosecutors in Rome have begun manslaughter proceedings against the Italian driver and the owner of a tour bus which crashed last night killing 12 Turkish tourists.
Six men and six women were killed in the crash. Six of the 20 people injured, including the bus driver, are said to be in a serious condition.
The group was part of a delegation attending a motor industry convention in the city.
They were returning to their hotel after a reception at a villa on Monte Mario near the Vatican.
The bus failed to negotiate a turn and careered off a steep road, plunged down a hill and into an apartment block's garden.
The cause of the accident, which happened shortly after 11pm Irish time, was not immediately known.
