Lviv commemorates victims of Sknyliv tragedy

27.07.2011, 10:57
Events to commemorate the victims of the Sknyliv air show disaster, which took the lives of 77 people, were held in Lviv on Wednesday.

Events to commemorate the victims of the Sknyliv air show disaster, which took the lives of 77 people, were held in Lviv on Wednesday.

People that were injured in the accident, relatives of the victims, priests, and representatives of public and political organizations gathered near the chapel constructed to honor the air show victims near the Sknyliv airfield. A priest conducted a religious service, after which those attending the events went to the place where the plane crashed to lay flowers and pray for those killed in the accident.

Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovy informed reporters that at the moment the issue of relocating the chapel due to the possible extension of the runway remains unresolved.

"The church and organizational committees have to make a joint decision, and the authorities will support it. We have to tackle the issue from the technical viewpoint. This has to be remembered for decades and centuries, we have to remember this [tragedy] always, as this was the most dramatic tragedy in the history of Lviv," he said.

The Sknyliv airshow disaster occurred on 27 July 2002, when a Ukrainian Air Force Sukhoi Su-27 of the Ukrainian Falcons crashed during an aerobatics show at Sknyliv airfield near Lviv. Seventy-seven people, including 28 children, were killed when the aircraft crashed onto air show spectators. Some 543 people were injured in the tragedy. Ten people suffered permanent disabilities as a result of the accident.