Maharashtra: Eight bodies of COVID-19 victims cremated on one pyre
Eight bodies of COVID-19 victims were cremated on one pyre due to a shortage of space at a makeshift crematorium in Maharashtra's Beed district, a civic official said on Wednesday. "Since residents opposed the cremation of bodies of COVID-19 patients at crematoriums in Ambajogai town, local authorities had to identify another place to perform the victims' last rites and space there was limited," he said.
Separate space was identified after residents raised objections
"As residents objected to the cremation of COVID-19 victims in the crematoriums which we currently have, we identified a separate space on Mandwa road, nearly two km away from the town," Ambajogai Municipal Council's chief officer Ashok Sabale told PTI.
Bodies were kept at a certain distance on the pyre
"The new makeshift facility which is located on Mandwa Road has limited space," he said. "As a result of this, we had to set up one large pyre and cremate eight bodies on Tuesday. It was a big pyre and the bodies were kept at a certain distance from each other," the official further said.
Planning to expand the facility and make it waterproof: Sabale
The official further said, "Since the viral infection is growing and more deaths are likely, they are planning to expand the makeshift facility and make it waterproof before the monsoon season." The official also said that if people come forward to seek treatment at an early stage of the coronavirus infection, they can be saved.
India recorded highest daily surge in COVID-19 cases on Tuesday
On Tuesday, 716 new cases of coronavirus were reported in the Beed district, raising its tally to 28,491. The district has so far recorded 672 deaths due to the disease, as per official data. Meanwhile, India recorded 1,15,736 cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, the highest daily increase so far. Nearly 55,000 cases were detected in Maharashtra.
