This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-52368827
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Coronavirus: Body 'in industrial fridge for six days' | Coronavirus: Body 'in industrial fridge for six days' |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A former chief prosecutor said his brother's body was kept in an industrial fridge for six days due to a "300 body backlog" after he died from coronavirus. | A former chief prosecutor said his brother's body was kept in an industrial fridge for six days due to a "300 body backlog" after he died from coronavirus. |
| Nazir Afzal said his older brother and ex-Home Office interpreter Umar, 71, died at his Birmingham home on 8 April. | Nazir Afzal said his older brother and ex-Home Office interpreter Umar, 71, died at his Birmingham home on 8 April. |
| "He went to bed that night and then didn't wake up," he said. | "He went to bed that night and then didn't wake up," he said. |
| "They didn't have any space in the morgue, so arrangements were made with a private undertaker." | "They didn't have any space in the morgue, so arrangements were made with a private undertaker." |
| Mr Afzal said the undertaker told them he had 14 bodies to pick up that day so was unable to get his brother until 18:00. | Mr Afzal said the undertaker told them he had 14 bodies to pick up that day so was unable to get his brother until 18:00. |
| "He remained in bed for the best part of eight hours... the family were all there and we wore masks and had gloves. | "He remained in bed for the best part of eight hours... the family were all there and we wore masks and had gloves. |
| "The undertaker turned up but it is policy for them not to come into the house, he gave us the body bag, and we carried him down the stairs." | "The undertaker turned up but it is policy for them not to come into the house, he gave us the body bag, and we carried him down the stairs." |
| Mr Afzal, the former chief Crown prosecutor for the north-west of England, who initiated prosecutions in the case of the Rochdale sex trafficking gang, said in Islamic tradition the aim is to bury the deceased within 24 hours of a death. | |
| "The coroner advised us they had a 300 body backlog and they said they would get us the certificate after the bank holiday, they worked through that weekend, so credit to them." | "The coroner advised us they had a 300 body backlog and they said they would get us the certificate after the bank holiday, they worked through that weekend, so credit to them." |
| The undertakers had some marquees outside mosques in Birmingham, Mr Afzal said, where they had placed industrial fridges. | The undertakers had some marquees outside mosques in Birmingham, Mr Afzal said, where they had placed industrial fridges. |
| "My brother was one of many bodies being kept there, he was there for six days." | "My brother was one of many bodies being kept there, he was there for six days." |
| Umar Afzal spoke and could write in "half a dozen languages" and was a self-employed Home Office interpreter, his brother said the father-of-seven was "kind and professional" and appreciated by many. | Umar Afzal spoke and could write in "half a dozen languages" and was a self-employed Home Office interpreter, his brother said the father-of-seven was "kind and professional" and appreciated by many. |
| "He was probably the healthiest of us all, he didn't look his age at all. | "He was probably the healthiest of us all, he didn't look his age at all. |
| "It was testing, beyond testing... it has been really traumatic for whole family, for my mother, who is skin and bone and now she's got a broken heart. | "It was testing, beyond testing... it has been really traumatic for whole family, for my mother, who is skin and bone and now she's got a broken heart. |
| "Ultimately it took us nine days to bury him, all because of the enormous numbers on 8 April". | "Ultimately it took us nine days to bury him, all because of the enormous numbers on 8 April". |
| Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk | Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk |