Missing body found at Nicosia General Hospital mortuary
A search was initiated on October 14, 2026, after a funeral home representative arriving at the Nicosia General Hospital mortuary discovered the body of a British national was missing. The man had died under unnatural circumstances in Paphos about a month prior, and his body was transferred to Nicosia because the Paphos hospital morgue is currently out of service.
The mystery was resolved later that day when officials discovered the body had never left the facility. Investigation revealed that the error was caused by a misidentification, as the body was stored in a refrigeration unit under a different name tag, and it was not properly registered in the facility's archives. A forensic pathologist blamed poor administrative procedures and the high volume of transfers from other districts for the lapse.
The incident triggered a police investigation and broader public outcry regarding the management of morgues in Cyprus. Funeral industry professionals have used the event to highlight ongoing systemic issues, including alleged irregularities in how transport services are contracted and recorded between hospitals and funeral homes.