The coroner's physician may order forthwith the cremation of the remains of any person appearing to have come to death under any of the circumstances set forth in section 841-3 if, in the coroner's physician's opinion, the remains constitute an immediate menace to the public health. The cremation shall be supervised by the coroner and shall take place only after a reasonable amount of investigation has taken place in an effort to establish the identity of the remains and the cause of death. Such cremation shall take place after a burial-transit permit authorizing cremation has been secured from the local agent of the department of health.

[L 1949, c 355, pt of §5; RL 1955, §260-16; HRS §715-16; ren L 1972, c 9, pt of §1; am L 1973, c 17, §4; gen ch 1985]