South Africa: AIDS Dead Could Be Buried in Mines

In an effort to accommodate the increasing numbers of people dying of AIDS, the Johannesburg City Parks agency could turn disused mineshafts into catacomb-style cemeteries. "This year we will bury about 20,000 people. In 2010, unless someone develops a cure for AIDS, we expect that figure to be about 70,000," said Alan Buff, the City Parks official responsible for cemeteries. Old gold mines could be converted into underground streets lined with tombs, accessed from ground level by elevators. Cremation would help solve space problems in cemeteries, but only 6 percent of people who die in Johannesburg choose the procedure. Officials are also considering alternative disposal methods, such as powdering bodies using liquid nitrogen, as well as burying bodies in mass graves.

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