Less than a week after the Nou Campanar building tragedy, where ten residents lost their lives in a devastating fire, the investigating court in Valencia is ready for families to begin reclaiming the remains of their loved ones and to schedule funeral rites as they choose.
A waiting period remains for the Police Scientific report to determine the initial causes and how the fire spread so rapidly, causing the fatal consequences. The investigative judge, number 9 in Valencia, who has overseen the case from the outset on emergency duty, has chosen to center the process on the human side of the event.
Given the swift DNA identification of the ten victims by the National Police, the court and the Legal Medicine Institute are prepared to start coordinating the release of the bodies to the families, aiming to ease, as much as possible, the pain of their loss.
Sources consulted by Levante-EMV, part of Prensa Ibérica, consider it highly likely that the deliveries could begin this very Wednesday morning.
Un protocolo muy estructurado
The process began this Tuesday with National Police calls to families, informing them that the ten bodies recovered from the collapsed building have been officially identified. Families were also told what comes next and that the court will be issuing summons to start the formal paperwork.
According to information obtained by this newspaper, the court has already set a schedule to minimize waits and has planned a staged, personalized approach for each of the seven affected family groups — the couple with their two babies, and the other six victims’ families.
To support this, the court requested extra personnel from the Ministry of Justice and Interior to help process the cases, along with psychologists and social workers from the victims’ service office and other agencies that have offered to assist the families when they come to court.
Upon arrival, aided by psychological support, families will appear at the court and receive the documentation necessary for the funeral company they designate to process the civil registry for burial or cremation permissions.
With that paperwork in place, the body is formally released by the court, allowing families, through the funeral homes, to receive their loved ones and proceed with the agreed rites.
Additionally, under custodial chain requirements tied to judicial deaths, families will receive the personal belongings recovered from the bodies once the formal process is complete, many of which aided the pre-identification procedures.
As this newspaper has reported, the identification process began on Friday, about five hours after the city’s worst urban fire in its history erupted, when mixed teams of firefighters and the Valencia Scientific Police, joined by the General Commissariat from Madrid, entered the still-smoldering building to search for and rescue the ten victims. The number of missing persons matched the death toll.
Personal effects as a key
While firefighters secured the scene, officers photographed and documented not only the positions of bodies but also the rooms where they were found and any personal items that might aid identification, from watches to bracelets, rings, or other distinctive accessories.
Then the bodies were moved one by one to the building’s shared lobby of the two towers and from there to the UME tent set up outside the single access point of the residential complex.
In that tent, preliminary examinations were carried out to note as many identifying details as possible for each victim, information later cross-checked with interviews conducted with families at the CdT center on the Alameda promenade. In addition, DNA samples were collected from relatives to assist identification.
On the same Friday, three forensic teams and IML technicians began autopsies. The progress so far indicates deaths from smoke inhalation, while forensic specialists collected fingerprints where possible, three in total.
In any case, authorities decided not to declare full identifications until biological studies confirmed the matches. By Saturday, after the tenth body was recovered, a Madrid-based genetics inspector and the police commissioner returned with the samples to the central DNA laboratory at Canillas and prioritized the identifications.
As reported yesterday by this paper, the Scientific Police completed the matching processes on Tuesday, with results sent to Valencia the following day.
With this information, the homicide group of the National Police began informing families and explaining that starting this Wednesday they would be summoned to the court to initiate the process of delivering the bodies.
Furthermore, the judge issued a provision allowing affected families access to the building to retrieve any few personal effects that might remain after the devastating fire, after the Homicide unit confirmed in writing that there was no ongoing risk to the scene, given that the ongoing analysis by the Scientific Police centers on apartment 86 on the eighth floor of the taller tower, as that is where the disaster began.
Electrical origin and a fortuitous event
For now, the Scientific Police has not yet finalized the report, but it has been disclosed that the cause is accidental and electrical in origin. The leading theory is that the issue began inside apartment 86, in the kitchen, while its occupant was away for work.
The tenant told officers that no electronic device or appliance was left connected, although several items are often left plugged in during short absences, including the water heater.
According to his testimony, two years ago there had been electrical problems with that appliance, though they were resolved after it was replaced. He also mentioned that other residents had experienced electrical issues in the building.
As the newspaper also reported exclusively, in 2012, nearly 12 years ago, a fire destroyed the interior of the unit then inhabited by the current building manager. In that case, the blaze started in the kitchen again, in a charger that wasn’t connected to a phone, with the home also empty at the time.
Related posts:
Natural GMOs in Everyday Foods: A Closer Look at Agrobacterium, Gene Transfer, and Genome Editing false Electrical Safety Reforms Rise Across Valencia and Alicante Regions Valencia Fire Investigation: Interior Origin and Precautions Disaster response and victim identification in Campanar building incident Valencia Funeral Home Case: Alleged Body Misuse and Forgeries Valencia Fire Likely Electrical Origin – Investigation Update {“rewritten_html”:”Fire incident reported in Ramensky district, Moscow regionnA residential fire occurred in the Ramensky urban district of the Moscow region. Eyewitness accounts collected from locals were later echoed by coverage from TV channel 360, with emergency services and municipal authorities mobilizing quickly to assess the scene, establish the scale, and identify the likely ignition source. The incident underscores the swift response required when flames threaten living spaces and poses important questions about building safety protocols.nOne observer described a plume of smoke while approaching a bus stop, initially assuming a dumpster fire. The moment of realization came around 7:33, when it became clear that an apartment was ablaze. By 7:35 the fire had intensified, and the witness promptly notified emergency services, recognizing the urgency as flames began spreading toward living areas and increasing the danger to residents in the vicinity.nThe witness noted that windows and glass in the affected room began to crack as the fire expanded, with flames edging toward a balcony. This account illustrates how rapidly a fire can grow once it takes hold inside a building and highlights the critical importance of early reporting and rapid evacuation whenever possible.nOfficials confirmed the initial details through the regional press service for the Ministry of Emergency Situations. The location was identified as building number 3a on Kommunisticheskaya Street. Dispatch records show the first report arriving at 7:35, and firefighting units bringing the blaze under control by 8:20, covering an area of about 15 square meters. The situation was contained, and there were no reported injuries among residents or responders. Investigators began a formal review of the sequence of events, building safety measures, and potential contributing factors to determine a precise cause and to assess any broader safety implications for nearby structures.nIn a separate update, officials described another fire in Moscow’s western sector near a construction site on Marshal Nedelin Street, close to Rabochiy Poselok station. The project involves a toll road connecting Moscow City with Odintsovo, and the fire affected an area of roughly 20 square meters. Early information indicated no injuries, but authorities continued to monitor the incident and evaluate possible impacts on traffic and ongoing construction operations in the area.nIn a different context, authorities referenced a prior incident connected to a narcology department in the Nizhny Novgorod region, where an individual organized a fire. This case was mentioned in public reports as part of ongoing discussions about public safety and incident prevention, though it remains separate from the current Moscow region events. Investigative agencies emphasized that official findings would be released through established channels once inquiries conclude and any lessons learned would be incorporated into local safety practices.nOverall, the incidents in the Moscow region highlight the importance of rapid emergency communication, effective building safety measures, and ongoing vigilance to prevent and mitigate fires in residential and construction settings. Reports will continue to be updated as more details emerge and investigators publish their conclusions (Source: TV channel 360). “} {“rewritten_html”:”The Fregat factory in Voskresensk, located in the Moscow Region, has been reported as burning. A Telegram channel identified as 112 was among the first to relay the incident, noting that responders classified the blaze as a second-degree emergency. The fire reportedly took hold in a workshop dedicated to battery manufacture, prompting authorities to deploy a substantial firefighting effort. At this stage, there is no confirmed information about casualties, according to the same source. Local officials and emergency services are monitoring the situation closely, and updates are being issued as they become available. The Fregat plant is widely recognized as one of the leading producers of secondary lead in the region, contributing importantly to the recycling and metallurgical sectors. The local response involves rapid deployment of firefighting units, cooling measures to protect surrounding facilities, and air monitoring to assess any potential exposure risks for workers and nearby residents. Authorities have urged residents to avoid the immediate area and follow official advisories as the scene is stabilized. This incident underscores ongoing challenges faced by large battery and lead facilities, including industrial fire safety protocols, storage practices for hazardous materials, and the need for robust emergency planning. While the situation unfolds, investigators will examine the sequence of events leading to the fire, the equipment involved, and the effectiveness of containment measures, with updates expected as information is verified. (Source: Telegram channel 112) Earlier, reports described a separate fire incident during the morning of March 25 in Aksai, Rostov region, on Novocherkasskoe shosse, 2. The fire affected a warehouse storing cellulose products and was classified at a third-level severity by the responding teams. The regional Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergencies confirmed the fire in the designated zone and noted that the area affected measures about 1,200 square meters. A subsequent official review by the regional prosecutor’s office followed the incident to assess potential safety lapses and to determine corrective actions. (Source: regional emergency communications and prosecutorial review) In addition to these events, authorities reported that a large-scale blaze erupted at a research and production complex in the Sverdlovsk region of the Ural area. The fire covered a substantial footprint, estimated at around 4,000 square meters. The ministry explained that extinguishing efforts were hampered by heavy smoke spreading across the site. Firefighting operations included the use of elevated water delivery equipment to reach the roof level, enabling teams to apply suppressants where access was restricted. Rescue and containment teams were coordinated to protect adjacent facilities and reduce the risk of secondary fires. The incident prompted a rapid deployment of resources and ongoing situational updates as dispatch centers worked to manage the containment strategy and ensure public safety in the surrounding communities. (Source: Ministry of Emergency Situations communications and regional coordination briefings) “”,meta_title_variants”:[“Fregat Factory Fire in Moscow Region Updates””,Emergency Response to Moscow Region Battery Plant Fire””,Industrial Fires in Russia: Aksai and Sverdlovsk Incidents”]”,meta_description_variants”:[“Live updates on the Fregat battery plant fire in Voskresensk and other regional incidents in Russia.””,Coverage of industrial fires in Russia including Aksai warehouse blaze and Sverdlovsk complex fire.””,Russia fires: Fregat plant blaze, Aksai warehouse incident, and Sverdlovsk site fire explained”]} } Identifications in Campanar Fire: Autopsies and Forensic Methods Environmental DNA (eDNA): Non‑Invasive, High‑Sensitivity Ecosystem Insight DNA Clues in Jubany Case Renewed Testing and Debates