Unclaimed bodies clog morgues, cost money

A lack of regulations relating to the disposal of corpses that are unclaimed or caught up in legal disputes has left morgues clogged with bodies, some of which have been in cold storage for decades.

According to a recent report by Xinhua News Agency, the unclaimed bodies are not only taking up significant space but costing public money to preserve.

The report listed several cities as examples. Every year, there are between 1,300 and 1,400 unclaimed bodies in morgues and funeral parlors in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. In Jinan, Shandong province, more than 80 corpses have gone unclaimed. And in Kunming, Yunnan province, more than 70 are in long-term storage.