The Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje, Svetozar Antović, and the Head of the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Aleksandar Stankov, announced today that following the tragic event in Koçan, 59 autopsies and identifications of the deceased have been completed in a very short time.
As emphasized in the press conference, six teams were formed, consisting of forensic medicine experts, pathologists, and teams from the Ministry of the Interior (MOI).
“All victims were found to have died from violent asphyxiation, caused directly by the fire. It is expected that all autopsy reports will be completed by the end of March. The clothes and all items found with the deceased are at the Institute and will be transferred to the Prosecutor’s Office,” the conference stated.
According to Stankov, immediately after receiving information about the fire, all employees of the Institute reached their workplaces within an hour, and a plan was developed for appropriate actions.
“The goal was the swift and quality completion of autopsies, which began on the evening of March 16 and ended on the morning of March 18, as well as ensuring accurate identification,” emphasized Stankov.
He, along with the dean of the faculty, expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and wished a speedy recovery to the injured who are currently in the hospital.
