Ahmet Gürhan Kartal
15 April 2019•Update: 16 April 2019
LONDON
The English city of Liverpool fell silent for a minute on Monday to mark the 30th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster, which claimed lives of 96 football fans.
The deadly incident took place during the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool FC and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough.
A minute of silence was observed at 03.06 p.m. local time (1406GMT) across the city and church bells tolled 96 times.
Liverpool city council announced that 96 lanterns are to be laid on the steps of St George’s Hall.
A public service is also being held at the city cathedral as well as a private service at Liverpool’s Anfield stadium.
At least 96 people were killed or fatally injured on 15 April 1989 in Sheffield’s Hillsborough Stadium when a stampede crushed Liverpool fans after one of the gates into the stadium was opened in a crowd-easing measure to let people pour into already crowded stands.
The coroner’s inquest in 1991 ruled the deaths were accidental; however, the second inquest in 2016 said the fans were “unlawfully killed.”
The anniversary was observed almost two weeks after the Preston crown court failed to reach a judgement on the prosecution of the match commander David Duckenfield.
Duckenfield was accused of gross negligence manslaughter in the incident.
The Crown Prosecution Service has said it will seek a retrial at a hearing scheduled for June 24.
