Chloroform found in Odessa House of Unions - Ukrainian Interior Ministry
19 May 2014, 20:10 -- Chloroform was discovered in the House of Unions in Odesa, where several dozen people were killed in flames on May 2, chief of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry's Main Investigative Department Vitaly Sakal announced.
'Chloroform was found in the litter and soot when the House of Unions was being examined. Chloroform is normally used in surgical operations. We have yet to establish why this substance was there,' Sakal said at a press briefing on Monday.
'According to experts, inhaling chloroform vapors obstructs the breathing, which is what happened in our case. The cause of the 32 deaths in Odesa on May 2 was heart failure and breathlessness under the impact of an unidentified substance, not as a result of the high temperature,' he said. Sakal also said that the mixture containing chloroform had been in the House of Unions for quite a few days.
'According to experts, if the substance remains in the open air, it becomes toxic. Heating is not needed in this case. Inhaling its vapors leads to irreparable damage for humans,' he said. Sakal said that the Ukrainian law enforcement services had urged the Israeli Embassy in Ukraine to provide skilled experts to assist Ukrainian specialists.
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