NBC

Too Many Bodies in Ohio Morgue, so Coroner Calls in a Death Trailer

A county coroner in Ohio had to call for backup Saturday when the number of bodies exceeded the available space in the morgue.

The "cold storage mass casualty trailer" — a 20-foot-long air conditioned trailer with room for 18 bodies — was trucked in to Canton to accommodate the overflow. NBC News reports that nearly half of those deaths were from drug overdoses — which have increased by around 20 percent in the county since last year.

Stark County investigator Rick Walters says the drug overdoses are "clearly a problem" for the area.

"Our suicide rate is also up. The drug problem is costing us a significant amount of money. We're spending five digits every month on toxicology tests."

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