"Fire at Crematorium Still Burning"... India Plunged into 'Corona Hell'

International Community Provides Continuous Support

In India, where the number of daily confirmed cases is approaching 300,000, bodies are being cremated continuously. Photo by Basca.com capture.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-ju] As the number of COVID-19 deaths in India has surged, even crematoriums have reached full capacity.

On the 24th (local time), local Indian media such as Hindi News and Vaska released photos of a crematorium.

At the large-scale crematorium, the fires for cremating bodies in each pit have not been extinguished.

Bereaved families, facing a shortage of crematoriums, turned to available burial land or temporary crematoriums.

A local medical official operating a non-profit medical service tearfully said, "I had to witness children being cremated at once and newlyweds dying together."

At a crematorium in New Delhi, during the peak of COVID-19 deaths last year, up to 18 bodies were cremated daily, with an average of 8 to 10 bodies. Currently, it is reported that 78 bodies are being cremated daily.

At a crematorium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, continuous operation over the past two weeks caused part of a chimney to collapse. At other crematoriums, the furnace frames melted due to nonstop operation without cooling breaks.

In India, where the daily confirmed cases recently approach 300,000, bodies are being cremated continuously. Photo by aajtak News.

Local media and foreign news outlets speculate that the number of deaths is much higher than official figures, based on crematorium and hospital death counts.

In this tragic situation, international support for India continues.

Representing the United States, Emily Horne, spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council (NSC), stated in a press release, "We will immediately provide COVID-19 vaccine raw materials and medical equipment to help India respond to the surge in infections," adding, "The U.S. is working around the clock to deploy available resources and supplies."

The U.S. plans to support vaccine raw materials, treatments for COVID-19 patients, rapid diagnostic test kits, and ventilators. However, there was no mention of the possibility of sending AstraZeneca vaccines to India.

The European Union (EU), France, and Germany have also pledged support to India. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, tweeted, "The EU is mobilizing resources to respond immediately to India's request for assistance." The French ?lys?e Palace also announced, "Support supplies including oxygen ventilators will be sent within days."

Meanwhile, as of the morning of the 25th, India’s daily new COVID-19 death toll was reported at 2,767, with a cumulative total of 9,758 new deaths over the past four days. Additionally, new confirmed cases have approached 300,000 over the past five days.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.