India, March 10 -- At least four freezers at the mortuary in Badshah Khan Civil Hospital in Faridabad had been lying defunct for nearly a week, forcing families to buy ice blocks to preserve the bodies of their deceased relatives, officials said.

Two of the malfunctioning freezers were repaired on Monday, Faridabad chief medical officer (CMO) Dr Jayant Ahuja said. "The other two had issues in the compressors, which will soon be sourced from Ambala," he told HT.

To be sure, the Badshah Khan Civil Hospital mortuary has 14 freezers. Dr Ahuja said the issue came to light after the facility received 16 bodies for autopsy in a single day, causing the freezers to malfunction due to excessive load. He said the team responded swiftly by expediti...