Chloroform was discovered in the House of Trade 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 said.
“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.
