Victims' funeral on Saturday

The four victims of the fireworks factory tragedy have been identified and the inquiry Magistrate Silvio Meli has given permission for their burial.

The body of Sunny Borg was the first to be discovered, the day after the blasts.

A second body was found that afternoon and the other three on June 29 but tests were required on these four corpses for identification purposes, holding up their funerals.

DNA and other tests have finally led to positive matches.

Sunny Borg, Vincent Galea, Richard Cardona, Paul Bonnici and Carmel Farrugia died in a series of explosions that destroyed the factory on June 27. Joe Bonello was the sole survivor, escaping with burns and other blast injuries.

On Saturday, the five coffins will leave St Luke's Hospital at 7.30 a.m. in a cortege to Birkirkara. Bands will accompany the cortege to St Helen's basilica where the funeral Mass will be said at 9 a.m.

Mr Farrugia's coffin will then leave for a separate service at the basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Valletta, where the funeral Mass will start at 10 a.m.