British authorities consider mass burials in the event of human bird flu outbreak
Britain’s Home Office is considering mass burials as part of preparations for a possible avian flu pandemic.
A “prudent worst case” assessment suggested 320,000 people could die in Britain if the H5N1 virus mutated into a form contagious to humans, according to a confidential report seen by local reporters.
The document in question also said that delays of as much as 17 weeks in burying or cremating victims could occur.
It warns that the prospect of “common burial” would stir up images of the mass pits used to bury victims of the Great Plague in 1665.
But in fact it “might involve a large number of coffins buried in the same place at the same time, in such a way that allowed for individual graves to be marked”.
According to Local reports this plan is not definite, but just one among others up for consideration.