Thursday, June 23 2005 20:56 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Cork (Ireland): In a touching memorial service, relatives of the 329 victims of the 1985 bombing of Air India's Kanishka flight today (Jun 23, 2005) paid homage to them here, marking the 20th anniversary of the disaster off the Irish coast in the Atlantic ocean.

Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, Irish President Mary McAleese and Minister of State in Prime Minister Office (PMO) Prithviraj Chavan joined over 200 relatives of the victims in paying tributes to the dead at a 90-minute ceremony that took place at the memorial site at Ahakista, the place closest to the disaster, in western Cork.

Describing the bombing as a "dreadful" and "wicked" event, McAleese said, "This is not how things are supposed to be. No one on that plane on that fateful day had this destination in mind."

"The tragic cruel end to the lives of so many men, women and children who left Toronto for Bombay full of thoughts of tomorrow and the next day was to mark the start of a journey of sorrow for the bereaved," she said.

Martin said the bombing was one of the greatest tragedies Canada had ever suffered. "The loss haunts us to this day," he said in a statement.

Canadian Government had paid $2,500 per person to the victims' relatives to attend the ceremony, the biggest ever for those killed in the disaster on June 23, 1985.

In March, the Canadian Supreme court had acquitted Ripudaman Singh Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri, the main accused in the case, due to lack of evidence, triggering a wave of protests from family members of the victims.