'Basketball was a liberation': says stepfather of athlete who died in bus accident Basketball freed the life of Henrique Ferreira Bezerra, 17 years old, one of the members of the Juazeiro do Norte basketball team who died in a bus accident in Tauá, this Monday (15). This is what Adriano Dantas, the young man's stepfather, says in an interview with TV Verdes Mares. According to Adriano, Henrique had been playing for the Juazeiro team for around 4 years. The athlete from the under-19 team, according to his family member, was experiencing the best moment of his life: "he was happy". Henry was an only child. The mother was unable to give an interview. "For us family members, it is a shame to go through such a difficult and painful moment. These are young people who had a great future ahead of them and had their lives taken in a tragedy", laments Adriano. The stepfather asks God for strength to endure what lies ahead. He clings to the memory that the teenager emerged victorious from the competition. "He did it with love." Henrique Ferreira Bezerra, 17 years old, athlete (under-19 team); Reproduction READ ALSO: Basketball team that lost seven athletes had been champion hours before Who were the 7 athletes who died in a team bus accident? At least 30 injured people received medical attention in a bus accident that left seven people dead Three bus accident victims remain hospitalized Collective wake The victims of the bus accident that left seven young people dead on the CE-187, near Tauá, in the interior of Ceará, are mourned this Tuesday morning (16). The tragedy occurred this Monday (15), when the vehicle traveling between Sobral and Juazeiro do Norte overturned and killed six players and a member of the technical committee. Another 30 people were injured. Bodies of accident victims are laid to rest in Juazeiro do Norte. Edison Freitas/SVM The bodies of six of the seven victims are laid to rest at the Juazeiro do Norte Multisport Gymnasium. The body of the seventh victim is at the Guardian Angel Funeral Center. Three survivors remain hospitalized in Cariri. See: Veiled victims at the Juazeiro do Norte Multi-Sports Gymnasium: Henrique Ferreira Bezerra, 17 years old Jonatan Samuel dos Santos Lopes Cauã Rodrigues Fratta, 17 years old Marcos Miguel da Silva (Technical Assistant) Luiz José de Morais Neto, 19 years old João Paulo Sampaio de Alencar, 18 years old Victim veiled at the Anjo da Guarda Wake Center in Juazeiro do Norte: Matheus Henrique Ferreira Martins, 15 years old The Municipal Department of Traffic and Transport (Demutran) and the Municipal Guard of Juazeiro accompanied the procession of bodies through the city. A moment of prayer and an ecumenical celebration will also mark the day. The burial of all bodies will take place at around 4pm. Young accident victims are mourned this Tuesday (16). TV Verdes Mares/Reproduction At the gym, friends and family arrived excited to pay their respects. In an interview with TV Verdes Mares on Monday (15), the father of one of the victims, Matheus Henrique Ferreira Martins, just 15 years old, said that the teenager had celebrated his birthday a few days ago: "His passion for basketball began when he started visiting the school, his passion was inexplicable. So much so that, when he went to ask for resources to participate in the championship, he said: 'it's my dream, I'm going to reward everything you're investing in me", said Siloé Martins, pastor and father of Matheus. Seven basketball team members die in bus accident in Ceará TV Globo/Reproduction Accident with seven deaths Victims were honored with flags and basketballs. Edison Freitas/SVM The bus with the athletes returned from Sobral, where they competed in a championship, and headed to Juazeiro do Norte. As an official from the Ceará Fire Department told g1, the bus fell onto the road. According to the agent, who participated in rescuing the victims, five dead people climbed out of the window, were dragged and were left under the weight of the vehicle. Two other dead people were removed from the wreckage inside the bus. According to Tauá city hall, 31 people needed medical attention and were taken to hospitals in the region. This Tuesday, three victims remain hospitalized, they were transferred to the Cariri Regional Hospital. Watch the most viewed videos from Ceará: .