Renowned Moldavian poet, Grigore Vieru passed away on Saturday night due to serious injuries caused by an accident in Chisinau. Vieru would have celebrated his 74 anniversary on February 14. After three days of coma, the poet suffered a hard attack and died.

Romania's Defense minister Mihai Stanisoara approved on Friday a humanitarian flight to Moldova that would bring Vieru in Bucharest for treatment. However, the Romanian team of doctors together with their Moldavian counterparts decided that his condition would aggravate if transported.

Grigore Vieru was a renounced poet and received in 1988 the most prestigious international distinction for children literature: the Andersen diploma. He was elected on November 13, 1990 an honorable member of the Romanian Academy.