Hundreds of dead bodies remain unclaimed in several major funeral parlors in Beijing for many years, taking up significant amounts of manpower and material resources annually for preservation, Beijing News reported.

Two staff members are cleaning the cold cabinets in a funeral parlor in Beijing's eastern Tongzhou District.[Photo/Beijing News]

"Unidentified corpses occupy most of the parlor's cold cabinets, with only 34 out of a little more than 100 in normal use," said Luo Jianjun, vice chief of a funeral parlor in Beijing's eastern Tongzhou District.

The number of unclaimed bodies increases year by year at several parlors in China's capital, and some bodies remain unclaimed for dozens of years.

"In order to preserve a body, the temperature in the cold cabinet should be kept between minus six to minus ten degrees," said Luo. "Besides electricity and facility costs, it also requires manpower."

According to the pricing mechanism stipulated by Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform, storing a corpse costs 1,500 yuan (US$232) per month, or 18,000 yuan for a year.

With more than 100 bodies unclaimed, the parlor in Tongzhou District pays up to 1.8 million yuan annually.

In most cases, the corpses were John or Jane Doe's who died by the roadside and were sent to the parlor by the police.

"Without any background information, there is only a slim chance of finding the family of the deceased," Luo said.

Luo explained that the bodies cannot be cremated if there's still a chance that family members might come to claim them.

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