KOBE – Some 900 people attended a memorial ceremony held in the city of Akashi, Hyogo Prefecture, Monday to pray for the 11 people who were crushed to death on an overcrowded pedestrian bridge after a fireworks event in July.

Children pray at a memorial service held to mourn for those who died during a fatal crush at a fireworks display this summer.

The ceremony, which was held at a civic center, was organized by the municipal government. Among those taking part were the families of the victims — most of whom were children — officials of Akashi Police Station and representatives of the private security companies that were assigned to help crowd control at the venue.

In his address to the gathering, Akashi Mayor Nobuhiro Okada read out the names of all 11 who died and apologized, saying, “In my heart, I have nothing but the feeling of utmost regret and apology for those who were forced to embark on a long journey.”

He added that the city would not forget the sacrifices of the victims, and that officials would take every step possible to ensure the safety of its citizens.

Representing the bereaved families, Kiyoshi Miki said that the pain and grief of those who lost loved ones in the incident due to a security plan that was “full of holes” could not be eased by holding such a ceremony.

“The best thing that can be done for the (victims’) souls is to swiftly determine the cause (of the disaster) and ensure that it never happens again,” he said, wiping away tears.

The tragedy occurred on the evening of July 21, when hundreds of people who were viewing a city-sponsored fireworks show flooded an overpass connecting the venue with the nearest train station. Scores of people toppled over one another, and 11 people, including nine children, died.

In the days that followed, it was revealed that many parties concerned, including the city, local police officials and senior staffers of the private security firm hired to manage the crowd that day made false statements to the press and relevant authorities regarding how they responded to the situation.

After Monday’s ceremony, Akashi Police Chief Yutaka Nagata said he prayed for the souls of the victims, while Keiichiro Nitta, president of Fukuoka-based security firm Nisikan, said all he could do was apologize.