Several bodies were found buried in the sand near river Ganga in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao, reported ANI UP. This came after 71 bodies of suspected COVID patients were found in Bihar. The Bihar government installed a net across river Ganga to catch the corpses. The bodies found in Unnao were wrapped in saffron cloth and it’s unclear whether they were COVID victims or not.

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Unnao’s district magistrate (DM) told the media that the bodies were found in an area far from the river, the news agency reported. He said that a search was being conducted for more bodies in the area.

“I’ve asked the team to carry out an inquiry. Action will be taken accordingly,” he added.

On Tuesday, dead bodies were found in UP’s Ghazipur.

Locals believe that relatives, unable to buy wood for cremation, immerse the bodies into the river. Overburdened crematoriums might be another reason for the bodies being immersed in water, AFP reported.

Although the Ganga is pious for Hindus, there is no practice in Hinduism, or in any other religion practiced in India, to immerse bodies into rivers. The practice can also harm the water body and trigger health concerns.

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Many believe that such incidents, across UP and Bihar, indicate that the coronavirus has reached deep into India’s hinterland, where the majority of its population lives.