Memorial service held for victims of Love Parade

Duisburg: Thousands of grief-stricken mourners watched in tears as rescue workers lit one white candle for every one of the 21 people crushed to death in a tunnel at the Love Parade techno music festival.

Around 500 people attended the mourning ceremony at Salvator church in the western city of Duisburg, the scene of the tragedy a week ago, and many times more watched the event on screens in the city's football stadium and a dozen other churches. Several TV stations carried the service live, and flags across the country flew at half-mast.

The 21 people who died were aged 18 to 38 and included foreigners from Spain, Australia, Italy, Bosnia, China and Holland. Another 500 persons were injured, some 25 of them are still in hospital.