RSCM receives 36 unidentified bodies

JAKARTA (JP): Thirty-six bodies discovered in the greater Jakarta area since early last month are still unidentified, Suminto, an employee at the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital's (RSCM) morgue, said on Monday.

Twenty-seven of the 36 bodies were sent to Cipto Mangunkusumo's morgue in November for postmortem examinations, Suminto added.

The other nine bodies were discovered and sent to the morgue during the first two weeks of this month. No details were available about the causes of death.

The 36 unidentified bodies include three newborn babies, he said, adding that most of the bodies were eventually buried at Pondok Ranggon public cemetery in East Jakarta.

Suminto said that sending unidentified bodies to the morgue was normal, and on some days the morgue receives up to 15 corpses.

"It depends on the situation and the condition in the city. There were special cases, like the mid-May riots, when we received hundreds of unidentified bodies in one day," he said.

He added that during normal conditions, the morgue received an average of 450 corpses per month, including bodies sent from hospitals and the police. (ivy)