Congo holds funeral for 223 victims

BRAZZAVILLE - The Republic of Congo on Sunday held a funeral for 223 victims of the March 4 explosions in the Central African country's capital Brazzaville.

Thousands of people gathered at 11 am local time in the city to pay homage to the victims, who will be buried in a downtown cemetery later in the day.

The massive funeral was attended by Congolese President Denis Sassou N'Guesso, government officials and diplomats accredited to the country. Participants presented wreaths for the victims.

On the occasion, the Congolese minister of state for social security, Florent Tsiba, expressed condolences over the deaths of six Chinese workers.

On behalf of the Congolese government, Tsiba also expressed gratitude to the Chinese workers for their contribution to the development of the African country.

The six Chinese workers of the Beijing Construction Engineering Group were among their 140 colleagues on the construction site, when the blasts went off causing the casualties including at least 1, 500 people injured.

An electrical short circuit caused the detonation at an arms depot in the military barracks in the city's Mpila district. The barracks will be resettled miles away from the city within months as part of the safety measures for the future, according to official sources.

Duan Jinzhu, political counsellor of the Chinese Embassy, said there are no Chinese victims to be buried in the Republic of Congo, adding that the embassy will consult with the bereaved families before making appropriate arrangements.