Memorial candles are brought to Salvator Church in Duisburg to honour victims of the Love Parade techno music festival. (Mark Keppler/DAPDAssociated Press) Thousands of people paid their respects Saturday in the western German city of Duisburg to victims of the Love Parade tragedy.

Twenty-one people were crushed to death last weekend in a tunnel leading to a freight-train yard, the outdoor venue of the techno music festival.

Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Christian Wulff as well as families of the victims attended the memorial.

The memorial at Salvator Church was shown on screens in a football stadium and a dozen other churches in Duisburg.

Several TV stations carried the service live, and flags across the country flew at half-mast. After the sermons, rescue helpers lit 21 candles.

The governor of the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia — where Duisburg is located — also gave a speech.

Visibly shaken, Hannelore Kraft talked about the many partygoers who survived the mass panic. Her own son, 17-year-old Jan, also attended the Love Parade, but was not injured.

For several hours after the tragedy, the governor was not able to contact him because the cellphone system in Duisburg had collapsed.

"There are many thousands who survived but whose souls were injured," Kraft said. "They are suffering in silence."

The dead were 18 to 38 years old, and included people from Spain, Australia, Italy, Bosnia, China and the Netherlands.

Another 500 were injured, 25 of whom are reportedly still in hospital.

A preliminary police report accuses the event organizer of major security breaches that may have led to the crush.

There are also media reports that police and fire officials had expressed reservations about the unsuitability of the venue as far back as October.

With files from The Associated Press