A thousand people have gathered today to mourn the deaths of 14 churchgoers who died in a bus crash in southern Spain on Saturday.

According to the Associated Press, 55 members of a church in Bullas, around 50km from provincial capital Murcia, were travelling back from a day trip to Madrid where they had attended a religious event in honour of a nun.

Their bus ran off the road and fell down a 50 foot embankment near the town of Cieza late on Saturday evening. 14 were killed in the incident, including 36-year-old parish priest Miguel Conesa Andugar who organised the trip. At least 38 more were injured, and 23 passengers remain hospitalised. Many of those on the trip are thought to be young people.

Police are investigating the cause of the accident, and the driver has reportedly been charged with homicide and reckless driving. Local reports suggest that he blamed a brake failure, but the bus company maintains checks were up to date. The local council has declared three days of mourning.

Today, the Spanish press reports that 1,000 people have gathered to attend the funeral mass, overseen by the bishop of Cartagena, Jose Manuel Lorca Planes.

Schools have been closed to allow children to attend the ceremony, during which 13 of those who died will be laid to rest. Pastor Miguel will be buried in his hometown, Espinardo.

"[It is] really very painful, I just have no words to express the feelings ... I am thinking of them and ask God for mercy, especially for those who have died," the bishop told Spanish news site Faith in Freedom.

"There are no words to express such pain. I ask the good Lord to...give peace to the families of the dead and give us serenity to accept this difficult, dramatic situation."

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy Brey also yesterday tweeted his condolences: