Cremation costs force Indians to dispose of Covid bodies in rivers

• India continues to struggle with an overwhelming surge in COVID-19 cases and increasing fatalities.
• Faced with massive cremation costs, Indians have been forced to dispose of the bodies of their loved ones along the Ganges river.
• About a hundred bodies have resurfaced later on, however, and were discovered by authorities.

As the cremation costs in India skyrocket along with the number of COVID-19 fatalities, Indians are forced to dispose of the bodies of their loved ones along the Ganges river.

Authorities have discovered at least 30 bodies along Chausa, a town in the northeast part of the country. According to a report from The New York Times, the mortality cause is suspected to be COVID-19. However, they have not been able to prove in most cases that the fatalities were a direct result of the disease.

Witnesses claim that the number of bodies found has reached up to 100.

The Times report explained that Indians followed local tradition in letting go of their loved ones’ bodies. They would weigh the bodies down with stones before releasing them into the Ganges, a river that is believed to be holy in Hinduism.

Unfortunately, a number of these bodies have surfaced recently.

Chausa-based government doctor Arun Kumar Srivastava told the Times, “I’ve never seen so many bodies. Definitely, more deaths are happening.”

The recent weeks have overwhelmed India with a massive second wave of COVID-19 infections. Many hospitals in the country faced overcrowding while thousands struggled to find medical centers that can accommodate their severely sick loved ones and themselves.

Several news outlets reported that along with the increasing number of cases, there was also a shortage of vaccines, oxygen supplies, and healthcare personnel.

Last week, India broke single-day records of new COVID-19 cases at least three times. Health and public officials are struggling to fight off the surge despite the U.S. offering aid in the form of oxygen supplies, COVID-19 tests, and vaccine materials.

Source: The Hill