ShPolice authorities are investigating a morgue in Colorado Springs, Colorado, after 115 decomposing bodies were found this week inside a strictly closed place.
Fremont County Police described the facility as an eco-mortuary called “Return to Nature Funeral Home” that serves people who want a more sustainable funeral.
According to Police Director Allen Cooper in a press conference reported by ABC News, police found the remains of 115 people in an area of just 232 square metres. The bodies will be in such an advanced state of decomposition that they will have to be identified using DNA technology.
“Over the past 48 hours, my department has made a very disturbing discovery in Penrose, Colorado. There have been many questions and concerns raised by the community, especially by families who have entrusted their family members to this funeral home.” Cooper said.
A report issued by the administration organizing these activities, on October 4, stated that the institution was storing human remains in a place that was not suitable for this purpose.
Cooper warned that identifying the bodies could take several months, given the scale of the operation and the number of people who will be identified.
He added: “Without going into too much detail to avoid traumatizing these families, the area of the funeral home where the bodies were stored was horrific.” The officer also said that the situation was so bad that one of the paramedics who arrived at the scene had to be treated for a suspicious itch.
The specific details of the storage of bodies are still to be clarified, but the case has been referred to the federal police and health authorities.
ABC News notes that the mortuary, on the company’s website, says “green” burial is “the natural way to care for loved ones with the least environmental impact.” He stressed that “green burial helps conserve natural resources, reduce carbon emissions and preserve habitats, without the use of chemicals, metals, plastics or synthetic materials.”
Read also: Police found between seven and 12 bodies in an industrial complex in Mexico
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