It was not possible to completely identify the remains of the victims of the fire at the Supertanker Base in M
atanzas, said Dr. Jorge González Pérez, who headed the multidisciplinary group in charge of the search and identification of the 14 people who disappeared in the incident, at a press conference.
The President of the Cuban Society of Legal Medicine explained that, as a result of the expert work in the surroundings of tank 51 (known as tank two by the population), 754 small bone fragments were recovered, divided into 14 groups, which were taken to the laboratory for their characterization.
Some isolated objects such as flashlights, shoe soles, a piece of chain, among other elements, were also recovered from the site.
According to the forensic doctor, to achieve an absolute identification there are three ways: fingerprint comparison, dental analysis and DNA; in this case the first two were not possible, and the last one was also impossible due to the high temperatures to which the remains were subjected; a conclusion supported by international experts consulted on this matter. Thereofore, it is not possible to establish to which person they belong.
Before this information was made public - clarified Gonzalez Perez - individual interviews were conducted with all the families, whose questions regarding the investigation were answered; they were grateful for the honesty of the scientists and experts involved.
AS an illustration of the adversity of the investigation scenario, the doctor said that it is estimated that during the fire temperatures could have reached between 1,000 and 2,000 degrees Celsius at its center, while a corpse incinerator oven reduces a human body to ashes in two hours at 800 degrees Celsius. Therefore, not finding anything was one of the possibilities.
It was also considered that there might have been a body protected by a collapsed structure or under liquid. The investigations carried out showed that 30 people were in the area of tank 51 at the time of the explosion. Fifteen of them were interviewed, which, together with the videos provided and the operational information, made it possible to draw up a preliminary plan of the location of the subjects and the equipment.
When accessing the field, aspects such as surface inclination, movement flow and solidification of the crude oil (coking) were taken into account. Four quadrants were established, divided into sectors and grids of five by five meters. Picks, shovels and pneumatic hammers were needed to work on the coke.
The specialist said that they contacted the Forensic Science Network coordinated by the International Red Cross, among others, and emphasized that there is consensus that it is impossible to advance further with the technology that exists in the world today. He also highlighted the preparation and expertise of the personnel carrying out this type of work in Cuba.
Translated by ESTI
