The body of a maintenance worker who died Tuesday in an explosion in the Delta TechOps maintenance facility at the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jakson Intl. Airport was unrecognizable, according to his son. He said the family had to rely on tattoos and a lanyard to positively identify him.
Mirko Marweg, 58, was one of two workers who died when wheel components were being disassembled for maintenance at the company’s wheel and brake shop. A additional worker was seriously injured.
Marweg’s son, Andre Coleman, told Atlanta’s 11Alive news station that he wanted to see his father because he didn’t believe he was dead. A medical examiner told the family the body was unrecognizable.
Marweg lived in Stone Mountain, Georgia and had worked for Delta for more than 20 years. He was planning to retire in a few months, according to a report on local news channel 11Alive. Coleman said his father was “a loving man” and that on the previous Sunday had helped change the oil in his motorcycle.
The Clayton County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the second victim as Luis Aldarondo, 37, of Newnan, Georgia. The worker who was seriously injured remains under medical care, according to a Delta spokesperson.
The wheel parts that were being disassembled when the explosion occurred were not attached to a plane at the time, according to information released by Delta.