Mexico Investigates Crematorium After 381 Bodies Found in Storage

Mexico: In a shocking discovery, authorities in Ciudad Juarez in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, found 381 mummified bodies in a private crematory and described the scene as very disturbing. The bodies which were in various states of decay are reported to have been piling up for as long as two years, as per the police. 

According to Eloy García, a spokesperson for the Chihuahua State Prosecutor’s Office, the crematoria took in far more bodies than they had the capacity to deal with either legally or logistically. Instead of carrying out the cremations as promised, they put the bodies in storage for great lengths of time and deceived the families by giving them urns with unidentified materials.

A tragic case of negligence and not violence

“This was not a case of organized crime or violence,” García clarified. “It was the result of carelessness, irresponsibility, and a complete disregard for basic standards of decency.” It is reported by the authorities that the crematorium just kept on accepting bodies without the required cremations which led to a large-scale tragic accumulation of unprocessed remains.

One of the administrators of the facility turned himself in to the police and the prosecutors are expected to file the charges. Furthermore, the forensics teams are continuously working to identify the remains and notify their families. This identification process is expected to take great time due to the large number of bodies and the lack of proper documentation.

Sparks outrage among citizens

This discovery has caused a great outburst of anger in Mexico which due to the very graphic details of what was found out. The incident questions have been raised regarding the funeral and forensic fields of Mexico. In many areas, services are under funded, and regulated poorly in regions that are a part of high violence or economic hardship.

As of now, the authorities reported that the matter will be properly investigated and also presented plans to visit other crematoriums in the state for a check up to ensure that they are in fact doing what is required of them.