DEAD BODY GONE BAD
BAD odour from an unclaimed body at the National Referral Hospital’s morgue has gone from bad to worse.
The male body was that of a man killed in a hit-and-run accident in the early hours of last Saturday in the Kukum area.
When the Solomon Star visited the morgue last night, authorities say the body is yet to be identified.
But it was the bad odour that was more worrying.
The smell was so strong and overpowering, sending everyone away from the car park area and in front of the hospital.
A spokesman from the Honiara City Council’s Works Division said yesterday they are awaiting instructions from the hospital before they could take any action to bury the body.
“As of this afternoon, we are yet to hear from the hospital,” the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, traffic police said it’s quite rare for a body to be taken to the morgue and not identified.
“This is the first case of its kind,” a spokesman for the Kukum Traffic Centre said.
“In most cases, bodies taken to the morgue are quickly identified by relatives and taken away for proper burial.
“This one is an exception. It’s now four days, but the body is yet to be identified,” the officer said.
“According to eye witnesses, the vehicle that hit the man is a 15-seater bus, white in colour, but eye witnesses failed to get the plate number.”
The police officer said the accident occurred between 11.00pm of Friday night to 12.00am of Saturday a Guzo Point, Kukum/Bahai’i area.
Police are appealing for information about the incident.
Early reports claimed the man was drunk and trying to cross the road when he was hit.
By AATAI JOHN