As COVID-19 infections surge in the country, Chhattisgarh, with the count of 4.5 lakh cases, is among the worst-hit states. Hospitals in the State capital Raipur are struggling to handle the situation with bodies piling up and no freezers to keep them. The government has decided to set up six crematoriums to speed up the funeral process.

“No one could have guessed that there would be so many deaths all at once. We have enough freezers for the usual number of deaths…If we prepare for 10-20, 50-60 people are dying. How can we arrange freezers for so many people at once? Even crematoriums are overwhelmed,” Raipur’s Chief Medical and Health Officer Meera Baghel told NDTV.

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Baghel told the TV channel that they were not able to size up this new wave yet. “We are seeing cases where even asymptomatic patients are deteriorating really fast and dying of heart attacks,” she added.

In a video shared by the channel, bodies can be seen lying in the sun in the absence of space in the morgue. According to reports, 55 bodies are being cremated in Raipur city on an average every day and city’s crematoriums are struggling to keep pace.

To meet the situation, Urban development minister Shiv Kumar Dehariya has directed officials to build electric crematoriums at Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur, Korba, Bhilai and Risali.

 Chhattisgarh’s COVID-19 count rose to 4,56,873 on Monday with the addition of 13,576 fresh cases, while the death toll mounted by 132 to 5,031. This is the sixth consecutive day when the daily COVID count state has crossed 10,000 in the state.

The number of active cases in the state stands at 98,856 after 162 people were discharged from hospitals while 4,274 others completed their home isolation stay.

The worst-hit Raipur and Durg districts witnessed 3,442 and 1,591 new cases, respectively, during the day.