A gravedigger in Guardamar del Segura (Murcia) has been suspended after he took a selfie with a mummified corpse and put it on Facebook.
Clemente was opening a family tomb when he discovered that a 23 year corpse in the pantheon had mummified, instead of, ahem, decomposing. That’s the trouble with this above ground internment in a desert area…
Anyway, Clement, along with a unidentified man, pulled the mummy out, propped him up and took this selfie of himself, which he proceeded to put on Facebook.
The Mayor hit the roof and ordered Clemente to be suspended pending a full hearing and possible dismissal. Clemente has been working at Nuestra Señora del Rosario cemetery in the town for the last 7 years, but this seems to be the first incident of its nature.
The Mayor told the local paper that “this is a stupid thing he’s done without justification and we are obliged to take decisions”. He’s also referred the case to the Judicial Police to see if any crime has been committed, as the family are outraged.
According to events, Clemente was opening the family tomb to bury the wife of the mummy. Part of his job involves stirring the remains with a shovel to get the new body in (an unpleasant job in summer, I would imagine) which is why he was rooting around inside the coffin.
The other man is believed to be the nephew-in-law of the mummy, who was present at the time. It’s not known who took the photo.
Gotta love these murcianos….