A Delta Airlines worker had to be identified by his tattoos after an incident involving an exploding tire left him "unrecognizable".
As previously reported, the accident occurred around 5:00AM on Tuesday at Delta TechOps, the airline's maintenance and repair division, leaving two people dead and one with major injuries.
According to Delta, the workers were in the process of changing a tire on a Delta aircraft when the tire unexpectedly exploded, leading to the fatal incident.
In a statement cited by Fox13, Delta confirmed that the accident involved wheel components being disassembled for maintenance and clarified that the materials were not attached to an aircraft at the time of the explosion.
Atlanta Police Department Maj. Kelley Collier reported that emergency crews responded promptly to the scene after receiving a call about the explosion.
Despite their swift efforts, two workers were pronounced dead at the scene, while a third was rushed to a nearby hospital with "major injuries," according to The Guardian.
Andre Coleman revealed that his family identified his father, 58-year-old Mirko Marweg, as one of the two workers who were killed, per the New York Post.
“I wanted to view the body because I didn’t believe it was true. Neither did my mom,” Coleman told 11Alive News.
However, the Clayton County Medical Examiner advised against viewing Marweg’s body due to the extent of the injuries caused by the blast, which left it “unrecognizable.”
Ultimately, Coleman and his family could only confirm Marweg's identity through his distinctive tattoos and the Mississippi State lanyard he always wore around his neck.
Marweg, an Air Force veteran and handyman known as 'Mr. Fix-It' by his family, lost his life alongside his coworker, 37-year-old Luis Aldarondo. A third maintenance worker sustained serious injuries in the incident.
Coleman shared that he had spent time with his father just two days before the accident, with Marweg helping him change the oil in his motorcycle.
“That’s the kind of dad he was. He was always there,” Coleman said. “My dad was an amazing guy, wonderful father, wonderful husband.”
Delta expressed deep sorrow over the incident and confirmed its cooperation with local authorities in investigating the cause of the explosion.
"The Delta family is heartbroken at the loss of two team members and the injury of another following an incident this morning. We have extended our full support to family members and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time," the airline stated.
"The Delta family is grateful for the quick action of first responders and medical teams on site. We are now working with local authorities and conducting a full investigation to determine what happened."
.jpg_OLwtqk?tr=h-40)
.jpg_OLwtqk?tr=h-184)