Crematoriums in India were overwhelmed with bodies and a shortage of space forcing them to carry out mass cremations, Wednesday, April 28, as the country's toll from the coronavirus surged past 200,000.
READ MORE: India’s coronavirus death toll has topped the 200,000 mark as it continues to be mired in a catastrophic surge of the disease.
The Health Ministry reported 3,293 deaths Wednesday, a new single-day record for fatalities, pushing India’s total death toll to 201,187. The South Asian nation also set a new single-day record for new confirmed infections with 360,960, taking its overall cases to nearly 18 million.
The second wave of the coronavirus has pushed India’s health care system to the brink of collapse, with hospitals crammed with so many coronavirus patients that authorities have been forced to convert train cars into COVID-19 isolation wards, while an acute shortage of oxygen continues to aggravate the already desperate situation. Many parks and parking lots have been converted into makeshift crematories that are working day and night to burn dead bodies.
The international community has begun shipping critical medical supplies to India, including personal protective equipment, ventilators and oxygen concentrators, which collect atmospheric air and convert it into pure oxygen, along with treatments, diagnostic tests and raw materials needed to manufacture vaccine.
The latest global COVID-19 figures from Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center show 148.7 million confirmed infections, including 3.1 million deaths. The U.S. leads the world in both categories with 32.1 million total confirmed cases and 573,381 deaths.
LINK: https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/india-surpasses-200000-covid-19-deaths
