Wrong body cremated in Berbice funeral parlour mix-up

What was meant to be a solemn day of mourning quickly spiraled into a bewildering incident in Upper Corentyne, Berbice, when a family discovered they had cremated the wrong body.

Relatives of Rohan Kuma, a 75-year-old remigrant residing in No. 62 Village, were all set to cremate him on Sunday.

Unbeknownst to them at the time, the body they cremated did not belong to Mr. Kuma. It was later discovered that it was a 62-year-old man who was discovered dead in his house.

Stunned by the revelation, both families quickly confronted the funeral home located in No. 60 Village, which had been entrusted with the arrangements. Despite the devastating error, the funeral home denied any responsibility for the mishap.

Relatives of Kuma, including his children who had traveled from overseas for the ceremony, had raised concerns earlier about the appearance of the body during the cremation.

“We asked why his face looked different, and we were told it was because he suffered from high blood pressure,” said one family member.

Tragically, that explanation masked the grim reality that they were saying goodbye to the wrong person.

Kuma’s has since been handed over to his rightful relatives and he was cremated Monday.

Meanwhile, the family of the 62-year-old man opted to settle the issue.