NEARLY a thousand stinking “zombie coffins” have burst open after being left unburied in a 48C heatwave threatening a serious health hazard.

Searing heat has warped coffins in Rotoli Cemetery in Palermo after a surge in deaths during the pandemic as well as lockdown restrictions delayed burials.

Currently 733 coffins are stacked on shelves and 242 coffins are being stored on the warehouse floor at the cemetery in the capital of the Italian island of Sicily.

It comes as Syracusa, not far from the cemetery recorded temperatures surged up to 48.8C last week.

It beats the 48C recorded in Athens 1977 – which is the European record accepted by the World Meteorological Organisation.

It also beats the disputed 48.5C previously recorded in Sicily in 1999.

'SERIOUS HEALTH HAZARD'

Cemetery director Leonardo Cristofaro said: “Due to a lack of burial plots, combined with high temperatures, numerous coffins have started to warp badly.”

He added that “the situation is now such that we need to start the immediate burial (of the coffins)” or line them with zinc before “it becomes a serious health hazard”.

According to reports, the coffins are being kept in several buildings on the grounds and three administrative offices have since been repurposed for solely storing the piling up coffins.

According to reports, the company has not been able to continue maintenance at the cemetery after their previous president’s term finished and a new one is yet to be appointed. 

There is also a lack of burial plots and a decision has not yet been made as to expanding the grounds

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