The Free Funeral Service Society, which assists those in need regardless of ethnicity, religion or financial situation, estimates that it coordinates between 30 and 50 funerals a day.

The service helps families by collecting bodies and organizing burials or cremations.

The service, which relies on public donations, has assisted in the funerals of more than 100,000 people since it began in January 2001.

“The number of those we’ve helped to bury or cremate this year is consistent with previous years,” Daw Ayar Maung Maung, the Yangon administrator of the service told Mizzima on December 11.

Daw Ayar Maung Maung said death rates often rise sharply during the hot season – particularly among the elderly who suffer more in the heat.

Founded by the film director Thuka, the not-for-profit organization is widely respected and has been endorsed by Myanmar celebrities.

They include the actor Kyaw Thu, who has helped to promote the service through public talks and sometimes drives its hearses.

On October 7, the organization commemorated its 10,000th funeral and marked the occasion by donating K426,000 to the bereaved family.