A massive wave of Macedonian singer Tose Proeski's fans gathered in his hometown Wednesday to pay tribute to the young pop star killed in a car accident early Tuesday morning.
Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski and Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski were among the thousands of mourners who attended the singer's funeral in the central town of Krusevo, about 170 kilometres south of the capital, Skopje.
The 26-year-old Proeski, who represented his country at the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest and was considered Macedonia's most popular singer, was granted a state funeral and a cortege accompanied by the army's national guard.
Archbishop Stefan, head of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, presided over the funeral, which was also broadcast live on national television.
"We are mourning because we have lost our best, the most talented young man whose voice made Macedonia well-known. We have lost him at a time when we need more people like Toshe and his grace," Stefan said.
Wednesday was also declared a national day of mourning for the young star, whose music was also popular in nearby Serbia, Bosnia-Hercegovina and Croatia.
Proeski died early Tuesday when the vehicle he was riding in crashed into a truck on a Croatian highway. The car's driver and another passenger were also seriously injured, according to police.
As soon as local media reported his death, the country was enveloped in an outpouring of grief, with many seen openly weeping in the streets and Macedonian flags ordered lowered to half-mast. Candlelight vigils were held throughout the country Tuesday night.
Proevski, who began performing as a teenager, delivered what was his final concert in Skopje last week, with approximately 30,000 people attending the charity fundraiser show.
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