2 Apr, 2020 @ 14:25
1 min read

Madrid to ask other regions in Spain to cremate bodies of coronavirus victims as funeral homes ‘collapsing’

Red Cross Coronavirus
Every country, including Spain, count coronavirus death toll differently and the numbers are misleading

MADRID has been so overwhelmed by coronavirus deaths that its crematoriums are collapsing under the pressure. 

The 4,715 deaths caused by COVID-19 in the region have seen funeral homes unable to cope, with the average number of daily services in the capital city alone soaring from 54 to 115 – some days have even seen 165 funerals.

The onslaught has left the capital with no other choice but to ask other regions to lighten their load.

Its municipal funeral services only have eight ovens.

City Council spokeswoman Inmaculada Sanz said negotiations have begun to move the bodies and have them cremated elsewhere.

Madrid city is currently experiencing delays of up to three days as the bodies have been piling up while COVID-19 is – hopefully – reaching its peak.

“All funeral homes are in a stressful situation and it is not easy to reach agreements,” Sanz said, adding that traditional burials are being carried out at a ‘normal’ rate.

“The demand for cremation has almost tripled,” she added.

Laurence Dollimore

Laurence Dollimore is a Spanish-speaking, NCTJ-trained journalist with almost a decade’s worth of experience.
The London native has a BA in International Relations from the University of Leeds and and an MA in the same subject from Queen Mary University London.
He earned his gold star diploma in multimedia journalism at the prestigious News Associates in London in 2016, before immediately joining the Olive Press at their offices on the Costa del Sol.
After a five-year stint, Laurence returned to the UK to work as a senior reporter at the Mail Online, where he remained for two years before coming back to the Olive Press as Digital Editor in 2023.
He continues to work for the biggest newspapers in the UK, who hire him to investigate and report on stories in Spain.
These include the Daily Mail, Telegraph, Mail Online, Mail on Sunday and The Sun and Sun Online.
He has broken world exclusives on everything from the Madeleine McCann case to the anti-tourism movement in Tenerife.

GOT A STORY? Contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es or call +34 951 273 575 Twitter: @olivepress

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