Cemetery workers have been filmed shaving down a coffin in front of outraged mourners.
Due to its domed lid, the casket couldn’t be inserted into its designated burial niche, which is a small, enclosed space within a columbarium designed to hold an urn or coffin.
Workers were filmed fetching an electric planer and noisily getting to work.
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Wood shavings flew through the air as stunned relatives watched them filing down the top of the coffin.
One mourner, named Sandra Gonzalez, slammed the act.
She said: “They used a planer, they had to trim the coffin.
“They practically destroyed it in front of everyone.
“It was incredibly traumatic.”
Images showed the casket resting on scaffolding outside the niche.
Three workmen stood on the platform as they used the planer to sand down the domed lid.
Mourners apparently kept a safe distance as wood splinters flew through the air.
The bizarre scenes were filmed at a funeral for Mónica Reyes in her hometown of Rengo in Chile on 8 April.
Distressed family members questioned the organisation of the services involved in the funeral, as reported by Need To Know.
Gonzalez said, “The funeral home didn’t provide any solutions.
“And considering that a service was contracted, it is unacceptable.”
Relatives also suggested that the cemetery’s niches do not meet the regulatory standards.
According to the law, the spaces must be 90cm wide, 60cm high and 220cm deep.
The family said the cemetery’s niches appear to be much smaller than the required dimensions.
They also said that they are looking into legal action against the companies involved in the bungled burial.
Gonzalez said, “This situation cannot be repeated.
“The pain we experienced cannot be repaired.
“This wasn’t just a mistake, it was disrespectful.”
The video went viral on Facebook with 75,000 views and dozens of comments.
One local said: “At this rate, we’ll have to bury ourselves in the garden, there’s no space left, and it’s getting more expensive per square metre.”
Alex added, “How could they not know the dimensions before preparing the coffin?”
Bernarda remarked: “Such a lack of respect.”
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