Arianna Adamo, a twenty-year-old survivor of the bus accident in Monteforte Irpino, recalls the tragic event that occurred ten years ago. She and her grandmother had spent three days together in Pietrelcina and had visited Padre Pio on the last day. As they were nearing home, the bus they were traveling on crashed through the guardrail of the A16 viaduct and plummeted thirty meters into a valley below. Arianna vividly remembers every detail of the incident. They were seated in the fourth row on the right side of the bus. When the bus went airborne, her grandmother tightly embraced her and shielded her with her own body. “It is because of that embrace that I am here today,” says Arianna.
Arianna expresses her condolences to the victims of the recent tragedy in Mestre, emphasizing that she speaks not only for herself, but also for other survivors and the families of those who did not make it ten years ago. The pain is as strong as the anger they feel. They will also feel the same anger when they realize that these tragedies can be avoided through better maintenance and stricter controls. “Attention was given then, and it will be given now,” she affirms.
“I remember everything as if it were yesterday,” Arianna adds. “When I regained consciousness after the crash, the first responders were already there and took me away. I haven’t seen my grandmother since then. I always have that scene in front of my eyes, impossible to forget. To the families of the victims and the survivors, I want to say to stay strong and never stop fighting to make Italy safer. It is a battle that I personally will never tire of fighting.”