The Health Ministry has attributed the reported disappearance of a British national's body from the Nicosia morgue to a labelling error, saying the remains were never removed from the facility.
The case emerged after a funeral home was unable to locate the body when it arrived to collect it for repatriation abroad, prompting the matter to be referred to police.
Body found at Nicosia morgue
The deceased, a British citizen who died in Paphos about a month ago, had been transferred to Nicosia General Hospital for a post-mortem examination and remained there while arrangements were made to transport the body overseas.
Authorities later located the body at the morgue and determined that it had been incorrectly labelled.
Ministry cites oversight
Health Ministry spokesperson Dimitris Constantinou told CNA that the incident resulted from an oversight.
"This specific mistake was made through inadvertence. It should not have happened, and it caused significant unnecessary distress."
Wider issues under review
Asked about broader challenges facing the Forensic Pathology Service, particularly with only one operational morgue serving the island, Constantinou said both transport arrangements and forensic service issues remain under consideration by the ministry.
Source: CNA
