GRAZ, Austria – A devastating fire which gutted a crematorium in southern Austria was caused by an obese woman's excessive body fat blocking an air filter, Austrian public broadcaster ORF reported.
The fire occurred at the facility in the city of Graz in mid-April. Firefighters had trouble extinguishing the blaze due to a thick layer of insulation lining the crematorium's walls.
Austrian officials investigating the fire found that it was caused by the burning body of the 440-pound woman. The obese corpse reportedly led to overheating in the crematorium's filter system, triggering the blaze.
Other recent fires caused by the burning of obese bodies were reported in Germany and Switzerland.
Former Graz city fire chief Otto Widetschek said special crematoria for obese people should be set up in Austria to deal with the potential dangers of cremating obese bodies.
"In Switzerland, there is now a special crematorium for XXL-bodies," he told ORF earlier this week.
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