A 13-year-old girl who saw snow for the first time before being crushed to death by a tram in Berlin on her way home from school has been buried in her homeland of Peru.
The victim, named only as Fatima, died after she was hit by a tram in the German capital on Friday, 18th November.
Now it has emerged that she was been buried in Peru on 9th December.
Fatima had only been in the German capital for a few months before the tragic accident in Johannisthal, in the borough of Treptow-Koepenick.
The young girl had been crossing a tram line on her way back from school when she was fatally hit by the tram.
Fatima had moved with her mother and brother from Peru to Berlin, while her father and two other brothers were still in Peru as they waited for their visas to be approved so they could join the rest of the family.
Fatima had reportedly adapted well to life in Germany and enjoyed her time in school with her classmates.
Her mother, Jacqueline F., told German media: “The school is different here, here she was allowed to be what she wanted to be. She felt free here.”
Hardworking Fatima reportedly wanted to study medicine after finishing school.
She had even seen one of her greatest wishes come true when she saw snow for the first time in her life just hours before the tragic accident.
Jacqueline, 34, told German media: “She wrote to me on her way to school and was so happy.”
But on her way back home, at around 12.45pm, she was crushed to death by the tram.
She had reportedly run into the street moments before the fatal incident, police stated on Saturday, 19th November.
The tram driver hit the emergency brake and alerted police to the accident. He was reportedly treated on site after suffering a panic attack.
Paramedics dispatched to the scene attempted to revive Fatima but were only able to confirm her death.
Police are investigating the cause of the accident.
The family reportedly could not afford to send her body back to Peru for burial.
But after Fatima’s tragic story appeared in German media sparking a crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe, the trip was made possible.
At the time of writing, the GoFundMe (https://www.gofundme.com/f/helft-der-familie-der-verstorbenen-fatima-13) had raised over EUR 31,500 (GBP 27,125) out of a EUR 32,000 (GBP 27,556) goal.
Fundraising campaign organiser Leonela Figueroa Fernandez said shortly after the tragic accident: “That she was torn from life so suddenly leaves her family stunned and in despair.
“They wish very much, also in the name of the deceased, that she will be buried in her home country Peru and that her family can say goodbye to her.
“The donation costs will be used for the body transfer and funeral.”
Jacqueline said she was “infinitely grateful” to the German daily Bild and to “the people who made it possible for Fatima to come back home”.
Fatima was buried in Chiclayo, the main city of northwestern Peru’s Lambayeque region.
