22 bodies of Sinai victims at City Mortuary

By Felix Olick

Several unclaimed bodies, including those of 22 victims of the Sinai fire tragedy, are still at the City Mortuary.

It has been eight months since the slum fire incident, which claimed more than 100 lives. Officials at the morgue described the charred bodies as ‘unsightly’ and a potential health hazard to their staff.

They said the facility can only handle 160 bodies and was therefore overstretched. They appealed to the Government to bury the victims.

"These people got burnt to an extent that DNA extract could not be obtained. We receive 15 bodies per day, and our capacity is overstretched," said Nairobi City Council Medical Health Officer Robert Ayisi.

Following the Sinai tragedy last September, 82 bodies were taken to City Mortuary. Relative identified 37 of the victims. Twenty-three others were also identified through DNA test.

When The Standard visited the facility on Tuesday, there were 108 bodies lying at the facility.