Skopje, 21 March 2025 (MIA) - Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje, Svetozar Antovikj, and head of the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Aleksandar Stankov, said Friday that after the tragedy in Kochani, autopsies and identification of the 59 victims were performed in a very short time.

Antovikj and Stankov told Friday's press conference that six teams had been set up, which, in addition to forensic medicine experts, also included pathologists. Teams from the Ministry of Interior were also involved.

All victims were found to have died of violent asphyxiation caused directly by the fire.

All autopsy reports are expected to be completed in March.

The clothes and everything found with the victims are at the Institute of Forensic Medicine, but under the jurisdiction of the Prosecutor's Office which is to decide what happens next because it might be required for further legal proceedings.

According to Stankov, upon receiving the information about the accident, within an hour, all employees of the Institute have arrived at their workplaces and a plan for appropriate response was done. Autopsies were performed on 15 victims at a time, and bodies were then handed over to the funeral home.

"The goal was a quick and high-quality completion of the autopsies that began in the night of March 16 and ended in the morning of March 18, as well as accurate, precise identification," Stankov noted.

Stankova and Antovikj expressed condolences to the families and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.  

Photo: MIA