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The Nameless at Sea: Why Mallorca Must Not Brush Off More Than 150 Unidentified Dead

Why the Palma Forensic Institute Faces Delays

Palma’s forensic services face storage limits, heavy caseloads and slow DNA matching, which delays identification.

Published: April 23, 2026
The Nameless at Sea: Why Mallorca Must Not Brush Off More Than 150 Unidentified Dead

Answer

Why is the forensic institute in Palma struggling with unidentified bodies?

One problem is limited cooling and storage capacity, which becomes a bottleneck when several bodies or body parts need to be kept safely. Another challenge is the volume of cases and the time needed for DNA work and international checks. These delays make it harder to give families answers quickly.

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