Pacific

PNG mass burial this month to clear morgue

14:07 pm on 8 January 2019

Dozens of bodies in the morgue of the General Hospital of Papua New Guinea's capital Port Moresby face mass burial this month unless relatives collect them.

Port Moresby's General Hospital morgue Photo: AFP

The National newspaper reports the capital's hospital has 154 bodies, 22 of them children, left in the morgue since November last year.

The director of medical services Paki Molumi said most of the bodies were of those who had died after being admitted for various illnesses.

Dr Molumi told the paper the number of "unclaimed" bodies had decreased after five mass burials had been held last year.

He said bodies not claimed after a month are prepared for burial after approval by the coroner.