A relentless stream of more than a thousand images of the deceased scrolls across the screens, each frame depicting swollen, darkened skin and visible trauma that complicates recognition.
Relatives search for any distinguishing markers även a tattoo, bracelet, clothing, or personal trinket that might pinpoint their lost loved ones.
On occasion, a fleeting moment of hope arrives when two workers zoom into photographs on an iPad to examine teeth, scars, or other unique features.
Near one screen, a woman breaks into tears upon recognizing her son through a battered blanket, while a stranger embraces her in comfort.
A phone call interrupts the somber silence.
A young man whispers that he is trying to identify his mother, but the condition of the bodies makes the task difficult.
“This feels like a horror movie,” Liliana González, a 60‑year‑old resident of Catia La Mar, says as she departs.
She had come to seek her aunt but ultimately identified her 37‑year‑old nephew through a tattoo she saw in the images.
“He wasn’t on the list,” she says. “I had to look at the images.”
“I saw my mum when she died, but this… this isn’t the same.”
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