Families of persons who died as a result of last Wednesday’s flood and the fire at the GOIL fuel station have up to July 2, 2015 to claim the bodies.
According to the Manager of the Korle-Bu Mortuary Department, Mr George Denkyi, the law permitted unidentified bodies to be buried within 28 days of being received at the morgue.
In effect, bodies at other public health facilities will be affected by this ultimatum.
He explained that a mass burial would be held for the unclaimed bodies after July 3, 2015.
“Postmortem examination will be performed on the bodies to find the cause of death. The unclaimed ones would then be buried in a mass grave after the July 2 deadline,” Mr Denkyi told the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday.
Meanwhile, the remains of 64 people who died as a result of floods and the fire outbreak at a GOIL fuel station at Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra have been identified.
More than 150 people have been killed by the floods and fire that occurred on Wednesday, June 3, 2015 in some parts of Accra.
The 37 Military Hospital has received 65 victims and out of that number, 32 have been identified, but two are charred beyond recognition. Four persons are currently receiving treatment at the Intensive Care Unit (IOU).
“There are 65 bodies in our morgue right now. They are 22 females and 43 males while 22 people are currently on admission. A male child is among those admitted.
Sources at the various health centres disclosed these figures to the Daily Graphic in Accra and said that the public was welcome to identify either the deceased or injured persons.
Fifty-seven bodies are in the Police Hospital morgue. Families have managed to identify 30 bodies at the time of going to press yesterday. The Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital received 11 bodies. Six of the deaths were flood-related.
The heavy downpour recorded in some parts of Accra left in its wake death and misery as some persons are still unaccounted for.
Scores of family members have been trooping to various health centres in search of their missing relatives.
At the time of going to press yesterday, devastated Ghanaians were moving from one hospital to another in search of either bodies or family members receiving treatment.
Some found their relatives alive and badly injured, while others have either managed to identify their dead relatives or could not identify them due to the devastating effects of the fire outbreak on their bodies.
There was a sad spectacle at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra yesterday as scores of people were in misery as a result of their inability to locate their missing relatives.
Hospital authorities have made arrangements for the general public to view and identify deceased persons and those on admission.
Troubled family members who spoke to the Daily Graphic indicated they had been to the major hospitals in Accra but were yet to locate their missing relatives.
The tragedy has elicited sympathy from Ghanaians. President Mahama has pledged GH¢50 million to assist persons affected by the flood.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster and Management Organisation (NADMO) has donated 100 pieces each of buckets, blankets, body bags and plates to the 37 Military Hospital.
