Probe into Spanair Crash Begins

The Spanish jet crash, which left 153 dead, was the country's worst since 1973. Investigators are probing the wreckage

As darkness fell on Madrid on Wednesday, the first bodies began to arrive in hearses at the entrance to convention hall No. 6. It's not the first time that a part of the Ifema, the Spanish capital city's trade fair center, has been transformed into a morgue. The dead were also brought here after the terrorist attacks on Madrid on March 11, 2004.

So far, 153 passengers flying on Spanair Flight JK 5022 have been confirmed dead, with many bodies charred to the point they are unrecognizable. The flight was cross-listed as Lufthansa LH 2554. Only 19 passengers survived, according to doctors. The plane carried 162 passengers, six working crew members and four nonworking staff.

The Spanish newspaper El Mundo described how family members arrived at the convention center on Wednesday. They were there to say goodbye and to help indentify deceased passengers. Families of survivors arrived in private cars and taxis and also in two chartered buses. In Hall Eight, close to 200 mothers, fathers, sons and daughters waited for news. Families were asked to name a representative who could be assigned as a point person for social workers and who could help identify the bodies. According to the report, 80 rescue workers, including 14 psychologists, were on hand to provide support to the families.

Ambulances arrived again and again throughout the evening to provide medical aid to the families of the deceased. Madrid Mayor Alberto Ruiz Gallardon also visited the site to express his condolences to the families.

Officials in Madrid said that 40 forensics experts are working to conduct autopsies on the bodies and identify the dead. German experts have also been dispatched to Madrid. But with so many charred bodies, experts told El Mundo they feared the job of identifying the deceased could take longer than a week.

German Family Was Onboard

According to Germany's Lufthansa, four Germans had checked in for the code-sharing Star Alliance flight. On Thursday, a spokesman for the Bavarian State Police confirmed that a German family from the Pullach near Munich had checked in, but their fate was unknown. According to Spanish media reports, other foreigners on board included passengers from Colombia, the Netherlands and Scandinavia.

A pathologist on the site, Francisco Alvarez de la Puente, said the possibility that foreigners were on board the flight "could further delay the work of forensics experts." He also said, "Under normal circumstances, in which bodies haven't suffered from such serious injures, we can identify the people within a few hours." But because so many were charred beyond recognition, forensics workers will be forced to rely on DNA analysis and dental records.

Divers searched a creek near the site of the accident during the night for remains. One paramedic described the scene as being "reminiscent of a war." Others compared the scene to "hell." The plane was completely destroyed. "It's a miracle anyone escaped alive," said one eyewitness. An emergency worker added, "The wreck was totally burned out and full of bodies. There was nothing left resembling an airplane."

Emergency workers were able to rescue 19 people from the plane, including three children ages 6, 8 and 11. Of the 162 passengers on board, there were 20 children and two infants. According to El Mundo, an equal number of men and women survived the crash. The survivors are being treated at six hospitals in Madrid. One two-year-old girl died while being transported to the hospital. Two survivors are in "very critical condition," according to doctors, and 12 others are in "critical condition."

A Madrid city official told reporters that the original report of 26 survivors was a result of "errors made in the first moments after the catastrophe." The official, Francisco Granados, added: "A few people who were transported in ambulances were double counted." Almost all of the survivors suffered from serious burns.

Black Boxes Recovered

Meanwhile, experts are continuing to investigate the cause of the disaster. The McDonnell Douglas MD-82's black box was retrieved a few hours after the crash and turned over to investigators.