The official cause of death of two sisters who died last month was drowning, new documents show.
Henrietta and Eliza Huszti were reported missing from their flat in Charlotte Street, Aberdeen, on January 7.
A massive search operation took place involving police and several other organisations over the course of the next three weeks.
Their bodies were found in the River Dee on January 31 – close to the location where they were last picked up on CCTV alive.
What are death certificates?
Along with birth and marriage certificates, death certificates are kept by register officers at local councils to record the details of someone’s passing.
They are an important milestone after someone dies because, once they have been signed, other formalities relating to insurance and funeral services can progress.
What information does the certificates contain?
The full names of the people who have died and their jobs.
Henrietta is recorded as a coffee shop assistant – she worked at the Costa Coffee branch in the Bon Accord Centre in Aberdeen.
Eliza is registered as a hotel house keeper. We previously reported that she also worked at Abz Cleaning Solutions for six years.
Both sisters were residents of a flat on Charlotte Street and were registered on the certificates as ‘single’.
Sometimes, certificates can be filled as ‘married’ or ‘divorced’ and this information is important for insurance purposes.
The certificates also record the date of birth – June 11 1992. They were triplets.
Their surviving sister is Edit, who lives in Hungary and who signed the certificates on February 11 before they were published in recent days.
What do they say about the tragic deaths?
The certificates state that Henrietta’s body was found 8.15am on January 31 and that Eliza was found at 9.05pm.
Both bodies were found in the River Dee at South Esplanade West in Aberdeen, the documents say.
The next part of the certificate allows space for up to four causes of death.
Often, it can be because one incident or medical condition has triggered another.
In the case of the sisters, there is just one cause given – drowning.
The name of a certified medical practitioner – who may have been part of the post-mortem process – is stated.
What about their loved ones?
The certificates say that the sisters’ father is Miklos Huszti, a railway worker.
Their mother, who separated from Miklos a decade ago, is Terezia Rusznak, a contract cleaner.
Police and the Hungarian Embassy have been assisting the sisters’ loved ones in recent weeks.
The Press and Journal also helped them obtain copies of the death certificates, as they are in Hungary.
What happened to them before they died?
We know the sisters had told their landlady that they did not plan to return to their flat – and they did not tell their family back in Hungary this.
There are no signs that they told their Terezia anything about any problems they might be having, despite speaking to her on the phone almost daily.
And they did not suggest to any friends or colleagues that anything was wrong in their lives.
But we still don’t know why they ended up in the river on what was a bitterly cold night – or why they had made a visit to that exact riverside spot 12 hours or so earlier.
What happens next?
Henrietta and Eliza’s broth Jozsef said there will be cremations in the coming days before a decision is made about funeral arrangements.
He is considering whether to make the journey from Budapest to Aberdeen.
Jozsef thanked Aberdonians for rallying round his family in their hour of need – particularly as they were able to raise £6,325 towards the funeral on JustGiving.
He said: “The support we had from the people of Aberdeen very much surprised all my family.
“I would like to thank, on behalf of my family, the people of Aberdeen for all their love and care.”