Volunteers hailed for aiding efforts to run coronavirus mortuary

A Birmingham mosque has praised volunteers for helping to support a temporary coronavirus mortuary set up in its car park.

The facility housed beside the Central Jamia Mosque Ghamkol Sharif in Small Heath has the capacity to store up to 150 bodies.

Mosque trustee Mohammed Zahid said the temporary mortuary, an extension to one of Birmingham’s longest-standing Muslim funeral services, had allowed Covid-19-related deaths to be handled separately.

Speaking near the facility’s five refrigerated units, which are available to cater for the deceased of all faiths, Mr Zahid said: “We have got volunteers here who give their time from the morning to the evening.

“They are doing an excellent job … I think that’s up and down the country, wherever the volunteers are.

“They are on the front line, especially our NHS. We all have to stay together and keep this going ’til we get this Covid-19 over.”