3 Types of Transportation Used in Body Repatriation Services

When a loved one passes away, you are surely in a state of grief, having lost someone you cherish. If the deceased passes away at the hospital, you will certainly need a body repatriation service. There are various transportation services for sending the deceased home. If you want to know the details, read carefully!

3 Types of Transportation Used in Body Repatriation Services

We know the hearse as one of the transportation options commonly used by the public to bring the deceased home to the family's residence. However, besides the hearse, there are actually other transportation options, namely:

1. Hearse

As we mentioned above, the hearse is one of the most commonly used transportation options for bringing the deceased from the hospital to the family home, whether within the city or outside it.

When choosing this mode of transportation, you only need to obtain a letter from the relevant institution, such as a hospital, clinic, or community health center. This letter serves as a necessary document while the hearse is on the road.

For deceased persons who are Muslim, the body repatriation service provider usually already includes the burial shroud and a green bier, or a coffin for long-distance or inter-city trips.

For Christians, usually already available are embalming or body preservation, a cross, a suit, cosmetic preparation, socks, and other items as needed by Christian families.

2. Indonesian Railways (KAI)

Besides road transportation, PT KAI, the operator of railways in Indonesia, in fact also offers body repatriation services, though following certain procedures. This is to help people who need speed when bringing the deceased home.

The procedures for returning a body by train are regulated in Article 18, Paragraph 2 of the Minister of Transportation Regulation and Law Number 48 of 2014 on the Procedures for Loading, Transporting, Recording and Unloading Goods by rail.

Sending the deceased by train is also an option for Indonesians who want to send the body to family and relatives living very far away, and who want it to arrive quickly and at a low cost.

The transport of the deceased uses a dedicated carriage that is directly attached to the train. This special carriage is not combined with carriages for other commercial passengers, so you need not worry about comfort. Below are the requirements for using the body repatriation service by train:

• Complete letters and documents issued by authorized officials, in the form of a death certificate, a certificate that the deceased did not have a contagious disease, and other documents.
• The deceased has no history of serious contagious infectious disease.
• While on the train, the deceased must be accompanied by a family representative.
• The condition of the body must be ready, so that shipping in a tightly sealed coffin will be quicker.

Sending the deceased by train is very efficient. With a hearse, the distance to travel is long and congested roads can cause delays. Therefore, using the train for long-distance body repatriation is more economical.

3. Airplane

As times develop, body transportation is now possible not only by land but also by air, namely by airplane, especially when repatriating a body from another island or from abroad. In this case, you will need to use a Body Cargo Service.

In this case, families must know the requirements and procedures for returning a body by air, as follows:

• A death certificate from the hospital and the police.
• A photocopy of the deceased's ID card and of the escort's ID card, or escort (if the person is not accompanied, the phone number of the recipient of the body must be included).
• A formalin certificate for the body from the hospital.
• Use of a coffin at the hospital. Please make sure the coffin is suitable and can fit through the aircraft's cargo door.
• The recipient must provide the air waybill or AWB tracking number. This number will later be used by the airport staff for the family of the deceased to collect the body at the airport in the destination city.
• The deceased being repatriated must have a certificate confirming they are free from any infectious disease.
• The cause-of-death document from the hospital.
• A letter of guarantee for the collection of the deceased.
• A power of attorney document from the local RT/RW (neighborhood and community association).
• A permit to transport the deceased.
• If the deceased is a foreign national, a permit letter from the relevant embassy of their country is required.

Please also note the following procedure for transporting the deceased on an aircraft:

• Please contact the airline's Call Center or visit the Human Remain Service Department directly to make a reservation.
• The deceased must be brought to the Airport Cargo Service Center no later than 90 minutes before the scheduled departure.
• Please bring all the documents you have prepared.
• Once everything is complete, the Cargo Service Center will prepare the deceased for departure.
• The deceased will be delivered to the destination city or to the city or country's shipping service center.

Now that you know the document requirements and procedures for air transport of the deceased, it is time to learn about the types of cargo for the deceased available with this mode of transportation.

The first is the uncremated coffin, meaning the deceased has not undergone cremation. The body remains intact, and it is transported in a galvanized coffin to prevent odor and leakage.

The second is the cremated coffin for those who have already been cremated. With this type of air transport, the remains are in the form of ashes or cremated remains, usually placed in a wooden urn or casket.

What Is the Best Service for Transporting the Deceased?

One of the funeral services that can help you with repatriating the deceased is Kamboja. We provide complete and dependable funeral services for everyone who is grieving.

Kamboja is also Indonesia's first funeral protection provider, and works with several insurance companies such as Allianz, LippoLife, and Astra Life.

For body transportation, Kamboja only serves transport from the Jabodetabek area to other regions, while deceased persons arriving from abroad can be delivered throughout Indonesia. For more information, please contact a Kamboja on-demand service representative first.

How Much Does a Complete Repatriation Package Cost?

The Kamboja Complete Repatriation Package offers comprehensive services to ensure the transfer of the deceased is carried out professionally and with full respect. The following services are included in the complete package:

A. Western Area Repatriation Package

This service covers economy repatriation of the deceased from Jakarta (Soekarno-Hatta Airport) to Sumatra, Java, and Kalimantan, with a maximum weight of 170 kg. The package includes arrangements, washing and preservation of the body for seven days, provision of the coffin and packaging, standard transport of the deceased from the funeral home or hospital to the airport, and administrative handling of departure and airport customs. The price for this service is IDR 31,500,000.

B. Central Area Repatriation Package

This service covers economy repatriation of the deceased from Jakarta (Soekarno-Hatta Airport) to Sulawesi, Bali, NTB, NTT, Berau, and Ambon, with a maximum weight of 170 kg. The package includes arrangements, washing and preservation of the body for seven days, provision of the coffin and packaging, standard transport of the deceased from the funeral home or hospital to the airport, and administrative handling of departure and airport customs. The price for this service is IDR 41,500,000.

C. Eastern Area Repatriation Package

This service covers economy repatriation of the deceased from Jakarta (Soekarno-Hatta Airport) to Papua, with a maximum weight of 170 kg. The package includes arrangements, washing and preservation of the body for seven days, provision of the coffin and packaging, standard transport of the deceased from the funeral home or hospital to the airport, and administrative handling of departure and airport customs. The price for this service is IDR 57,500,000.

Now That You Know the Transport Options for Repatriating the Deceased?

That concludes the full explanation of the transport options for bringing the deceased home. For those who need information on air transport services, it is important to understand the requirements and procedures of each service above, to ensure the repatriation goes smoothly.