MOSCOW — Flags on government buildings flew at half-staff. Newspaper fronts were colorless. TV stations suspended commercials. Lawmakers observed a minute of silence.

Russia was in an official state of mourning on Wednesday as funerals began for the 64 victims of a fire that swept through a mall in the Siberian city of Kemerovo on Sunday. The tragedy that has led to public outrage over a perceived lack of transparency and accountability.

Funeral ceremonies were held at three churches in Kemerovo, 2,000 miles east of Moscow, local news outlets reported. In the morning, the caskets bearing the remains of two children and one adult were brought to a cemetery following services at Holy Trinity Church, the TASS news agency reported.

“This tragedy is made even worse by the fact that children became victims of the blaze,” said a priest at another service in an Orthodox church, Reuters reported. “Great grief is upon all of us and there are no words that would express our common pain.”