Popi Christoforou, the mother of twin sailors Miltos and Christos who were killed in the Mari naval base explosion, was laid to rest in Limassol on Thursday, after a long battle with cancer.

Relatives and state officials attended the funeral at the Holy Trinity Church, with many wearing white and blue in accordance with Christoforou’s final wish.

Christoforou became a prominent figure in the campaign for justice for the 13 people killed in the July 11, 2011, explosion at the Evangelos Florakis naval base in Mari.

A naval delegation attended the funeral in tribute to the two brothers, while a delegation of motorcyclists from the Tassos Isaac and Solomos Solomou memorial initiative was also present.

President Nikos Christodoulides was represented by Deputy Shipping Minister Marina Hadjimanolis.

The funeral was also attended by Disy president Annita Demetriou, Diko president Nicolas Papadopoulos, former president Nicos Anastasiades, Limassol Mayor Yiannis Armeftis, and other officials.

Christodoulides had commended Christoforou following her death as a “symbol of mental strength, dignity and fighting spirit”.

Christoforou’s death had prompted tributes from political figures and others who had followed her efforts on behalf of the families of those killed in the Mari explosion.

The explosion killed 13 people, including naval officers and firefighters after confiscated munitions stored at the naval base detonated.

The disaster led to a major political and military crisis and prompted an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the storage and handling of the explosives.

Christoforou continued to publicly seek accountability for the deaths of her sons and the other victims in the years that followed.