Funeral parlor shut down for storing decomposing cadavers

A funeral parlor in Santa Cruz, Manila was shut down on Wednesday after authorities discovered decomposing cadavers inside without proper permits.

The Manila Sanitary Department and Manila North Cemetery found that Body and Life Funeral Services lacked necessary documents such as a sanitary permit, with the owner also living there with her family.

Video footage showed the small office doubling as a living space for the owner's family with a morgue nearby where bodies were improperly stored, leading to the confiscation of 10 cadavers, two of which had decomposed in formalin solution since April due to lack of refrigeration.

Manila North Cemetery personnel retrieved the remains amidst foul smells while the funeral parlor’s owner claimed they did not notice any odor, and one body was claimed by a family who could only afford staggered payments over months.

The city government will provide proper burial for unclaimed bodies and hold the hearse until necessary documents are provided, with Manila Mayor Isko Moreno stating that the city would shoulder all funeral and burial expenses for affected families.