Colombian institute receives 304 bodies after earthquake; 300 identified

Colombia's National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences reported on Monday that it has received 304 bodies of individuals who died in the earthquake that shook the country on August 10. Of this total, forensic experts have successfully identified 300 victims, and the majority have already been returned to their families.

The deceased individuals come from the areas most affected by the seismic event, specifically the departments of Chocó, Caldas, Risaralda, and Valle del Cauca. Among the fully identified victims to date are 22 minors, the institution specified in a press release.

The city of Cali, the capital of Valle del Cauca, recorded the highest number of fatalities identified by the forensic institute, with a total of 139 people. Pereira, the capital of Risaralda, follows with 107 confirmed cases. The report also details the identification of 12 bodies in Quibdó (Chocó); nine in the port of Buenaventura, six in Buga, and six in Roldanillo (Valle del Cauca); as well as five in Manizales (Caldas), among other towns in western Colombia.

The verification and release of remains are coordinated with the Attorney General's Office at forensic sites in each jurisdiction. The protocol for handing over the remains of victims from Cali is being carried out at facilities in the neighboring city of Palmira. The epicenter of the earthquake was located in the municipality of San José del Palmar, in the department of Chocó, bordering Valle del Cauca and Risaralda, which explains the concentration of fatalities in that geographic area.