New Delhi's Nigambodh Ghat crematorium struggles with coronavirus dead

Queues of mourners wait at the entrance as a hard-pressed workers work overtime

Published: June 05, 2020 15:17 Compiled by Nathaniel Lacsina, Digital Content Editor

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New Delhi: A queue of ambulances formed outside the main crematorium in India's capital New Delhi on Monday, as the number of deaths from the novel coronavirus continues to rise. Image Credit: AFP

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Cases in the country crossed 190,000, the health ministry said on Monday, overtaking France to become seventh highest in the world, as the government eases back on most curbs after a two-month lockdown that left millions without work. There have been more than 5,000 deaths. Image Credit: AFP

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At Nigambodh Ghat on the banks of the Yamuna River, relatives and staff said a shortage of medical professionals trained in handling the bodies of victims was leading to delays. Image Credit: AFP

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Ash floated from the funeral pyres, adding to the heat of the Indian summer, where temperatures in Delhi have already reached 47 degrees Celsius. Image Credit: AFP

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Surendra Mohan Gupta, the brother of 50-year-old coronavirus victim Virendra Gupta, said his family had paid 20,000 Indian rupees ($265) to a private ambulance firm. Image Credit: AFP

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"It's very expensive but we are still waiting for them," he said, as other family members argued with crematorium staff over the delay. Image Credit: AFP

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"The body has to stay in the ambulance until our number is called. Sometimes I have to wait for almost five hours," said ambulance driver Jai Kumar, sweat pooling in his surgical gloves. Image Credit: AFP

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The Hindustan Times newspaper reported on May 28 the crematorium had to send eight bodies back to a hospital after several of its electric furnaces failed. Image Credit: AFP

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It has since moved to traditional wooden pyres and is now handling around 20 cases a day, officials said on Monday. Image Credit: AFP

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Relatives and friends watch as the body of a person who died from the COVID-19 coronavirus is cremated, at the Nigambodh Ghat cremation ground in New Delhi. Image Credit: AFP

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