Funeral Company Mistakenly Cremates Woman’s Body after Coffin Switched with Other Man’s; Family Found Unrecognizable Items in Ashes

The Yomiuri Shimbun

11:06 JST, March 14, 2024

A funeral company in Koshigaya, Saitama Prefecture, accidentally cremated a woman’s body after a company official mistakenly took her coffin to the city-run crematorium where a man’s body was set to be cremated, the company said.

The mistake was revealed when the man’s family found unrecognizable items in the ashes. The woman’s body was cremated when the man’s relatives had gathered at the crematorium.

According to the company and other sources, the mistake occurred because the official failed to confirm name tags and other identifying features attached to the coffin and the body.

The woman’s family received her remains without having the opportunity to witness her cremation, while the man’s family had to attend his cremation again. The company apologized to both families.

The Koshigaya city government, which manages the crematorium, asked the company to report how the mistake occurred.