SALERNO -- At least 38 people were killed when a coach packed with children collided with other vehicles and plunged 100 feet off the Naples-Irpinia motorway, police and rescue workers said.

 Police said the accident happened after the coach brakes failed. The dead included many young children and the coach driver. Injured children screamed for help as rescue workers reached the scene on Sunday night.

  It was one of the worst motor accidents in recent Italian history. Italy has one of the worst records for road deaths in Europe with hundreds of people dying in smashes each summer. Government campaigns to improve safety have been muted in the face of a powerful motor industry lobby.

 jp