People lit candles in the square to mourn the dead.
Tips
history
In the 《论语》, Confucius stands by a river and says 逝者如斯夫,不舍昼夜: 'what passes is like this, never ceasing day or night'. There 逝者 is the flowing water and passing time, not the dead.
register
逝者 is the respectful, formal word, at funerals and in speeches; 死者 is the neutral term of news and police reports.