Number designations, grades, etc. of other municipal officers and servants.

(1) No person shall, without the written sanction of the Medical Officer of Health, retain in any place, other than a public mortuary, for more than twelve hours the body of any person who has died while suffering from a dangerous disease. (2) If any such body, not being a body kept in a public mortuary, remains undisposed of for more than twelve hours without sanction as aforesaid or if the dead body of any person is retained in any building so as to endanger the health of the inmates thereof or of an adjoining or neighbouring building, a magistrate may, on the application of the Commissioner, order the body to be removed and disposed of within a specified time and, on such order being made, unless the relatives or friends of the deceased person undertake to, and do, cause the body to be disposed of within the time specified in the order, the Commissioner shall cause the body to be disposed of. Any expenses reasonably incurred by the Commissioner in so doing shall be paid by any person legally liable to pay the expenses of the disposal of the body unless the Commissioner waives recovery on the ground of poverty.