The second body found in the debris days after last week’s East Village explosion has been identified as an Elmhurst man who worked in a Sushi restaurant at the location, according to published reports.
The medical examiner’s office positively identified the victim, using DNA analysis, as 27-year-old Moises Ismael Locón Yac, who reportedly lived in Elmhurst with his cousin.
Locón, a Guatemalan immigrant, was working as a busboy at Sushi Park, located on the ground floor of the building at 121 Second Ave., when the explosion occurred on March 26.
The explosion and following fire left 22 people injured, three apartment buildings destroyed and two men missing — Locón and 23-year-old East Harlem resident Nicholas Figueroa.
Authorities discovered two bodies on Sunday, the first about 20 feet from the entrance of Sushi Park and the other 20 feet back from the first, according to FDNY Commissioner Dan Nigro.
Family members of Figueroa identified one of the bodies as their loved one and the second body had to wait for DNA testing to confirm if it was Locón.
Locón, who comes from a family of nine in Guatemala, was working to save money and return to his home country to reunite with his girlfriend, media reports said.
His family plans to bury him in Guatemala, according to NBC New York.
An investigation to determine the cause of the explosion is still ongoing.
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