Diogo Jota and his brother’s autopsy could take ‘several days’, a Spanish government official has warned. The football community has been left in shock as Liverpool forward Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva, 26, tragically lost their lives in a car accident on Thursday morning.
Reports from Portugal claim Jota was on his way to Santander, Spain, to catch a ferry to the UK, as he was advised not to fly following lung surgery. The crash occurred at kilometre 65 on the A-52 motorway, where it's believed Jota's car experienced a tyre blowout during an overtake, leading to the vehicle veering off the road and catching fire. Emergency services pronounced the brothers dead at the scene.
Portuguese news outlet Jornal de Noticias has since provided updates on the process of Jota's autopsy. Reports state that the bodies of Jota and his brother are currently at the Zamora Institute of Forensic Medicine, awaiting their respective autopsies.
"The bodies are at the Zamora Institute of Forensic Medicine, where all the necessary tests will be carried out to confirm the identities of the victims," said Angel Blanco, the Spanish government's deputy delegate in Zamora. "DNA tests may be necessary and should be sent to the National Institute of Toxicology in Madrid."
However, the bodies will only be transported to Portugal following the autopsies and tests. While the timeframe remains uncertain, Blanco stated: "The results may take several days." It was also highlighted that the intensity of the fire following Jota's vehicle crash made "identification difficult" for those handling the bodies.
Other reports indicate that Jota's family arrived in the region where he tragically lost his life. The Regional Government of Castilla y Leon has dispatched psychological support teams to aid the mourning family from 9:30am local time.
A spokesperson for the Civil Guard investigating the road incident in Zamora said: "The investigation into the crash is being carried out by Civil Guard traffic officers.
"We believe the car suffered a blowout from the marks on the road. The full police report once it is completed will be submitted to a duty court in Zamora which has launched an ongoing judicial investigation into this crash.
"That report is going to take time to complete, probably about four or five days but possibly longer. At this moment in time it is impossible to say at exactly what speed the car was going.
"But that is something the Civil Guard investigators will be able to detail at least approximately in their final report from things like the skid marks. What I can confirm is that no other vehicle was involved and no-one else was hurt."