In a painful and tragic atmosphere, after gloomy and cloudy weather, with state honors and in the presence of the highest state leadership, yesterday at the Skopje International Airport, families and relatives took the remains of the 45 victims of the tragic car accident that occurred before ten days in Bulgaria, when a Macedonian bus returning from Turkey hit a sidewalk and burned on the Struma highway, on the route Sofia-Pernik.

The bodies of the victims were transported from Sofia by two Bulgarian warplanes, whose departure was delayed due to bad weather at Sofia Airport. At the Skopje airport, members of the Army took the remains from the planes and transferred them to the vehicles of the funeral company "Butel", with which the procession then went to the eternal resting place of the dead.

The families who came to the Skopje airport were in shock, disbelief and tears while the Macedonian soldiers were transporting the remains in the funeral vehicles with the highest state honors. Damir Osmanov, whose daughter and wife died on the bus, says nothing can reduce his grief and loss. He said through tears that his daughter had gone to Turkey to buy a wedding chaise.

- My daughter was preparing for a wedding, it was scheduled for us in April. He was supposed to live in America. On the morning of November 23, I got up early to go to the bus to meet them. Then my other daughter called to tell me that there was an accident. I was trying to find out if the bus my wife and daughter were traveling on caught fire, I was in uncertainty, it was very difficult for me. When I found out that he was the bus, I was in uncertainty again, because I did not know if mine was among the dead or among those who managed to escape. There is no consolation for this pain. I have three more daughters and a son, but there is no consolation for the pain. I can only say that such was the will of God - said Osmanov for "Free Press".

The taking of the remains began with a minute of silence for those present. A special ceremony was organized at the Skopje airport on this occasion, attended by state and military leaders, MPs, representatives of religious communities, as well as senior delegations from Kosovo and Albania. The last tribute to the dead was paid by the President Stevo Pendarovski, the President of the Assembly Talat Xhaferi and the Prime Minister Zoran Zaev. Wreaths were also laid by the President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani, the Speaker of the Albanian Parliament Lindita Nikola, the Minister of Interior of Albania Blendi Cuci and others.

The Bulgarian Ambassador to the country Angel Angelov, the First Deputy Prime Minister Artan Grubi, the Minister Bujar Osmani, as well as the President of DUI, Ali Ahmeti also paid their respects.

The citizens on the Skenderbeg Square in Skopje, where wreaths of flowers were placed, could also pay their respects to the dead. At the request of the families of the victims, the announced ceremony was canceled, according to which the procession with the remains was to pass through the capital so that the citizens could say goodbye to the dead. Our interlocutor Osmanov says that it is good that the procession was canceled at the request of the relatives of the deceased. Relatives of the victims demanded that the bodies of the dead be received in their homes as soon as possible, before Friday prayers, so that they could be buried after this prayer, according to the customs.

There was silence in the Skopje Bazaar yesterday. The silence spoke for itself about the grief for this great loss, while no greater movement of the citizens was noticed. Due to the religious norms and customs of the Islamic religion, but also due to the change of the program for the reception of the deceased, a large participation of the citizens in this activity was not expected in the afternoon.

The accident happened on November 23, on the Struma highway near the town of Pernik in Bulgaria, when the bus of "Besa Trans" - Skopje was returning from Istanbul. Forty-five people were killed and seven were injured.

VMRO-DPMNE: Tasteless promotion in a tragic moment

Today, the government, in a shameful, indecent and inhuman approach, is conducting a live broadcast of the deceased. We are disgusted, instead of showing respect for the dead, Zabrcanec does not refrain from self-promotion, so he posts photos on social networks with the caption: "We are going live soon". This is distasteful, in such a tragic moment, one should not think about promotion, but responsibility is needed - VMRO-DPMNE reacted yesterday.

"There is no answer to the bus accident, they are still trying to save power by maintaining their incompetent coalition, and the Bulgarian authorities have already provided initial information after the investigation," said VMRO-DPMNE spokeswoman Marija Miteva.