Updated May 11, 2021 · 06:36 pm Image for representation. | Xavier Galiana/AFP
Unidentified bodies were found floating in river Ganga in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur district on Tuesday, a day after similar sightings in Bihar, reported NDTV. The district is only 55 km from Buxar, where bloated bodies had piled up on the banks of the river in Chausa village.
Ghazaipur District Magistrate MP Singh said that officials were at the spot where the bodies have been found and an investigation was underway, reported ANI. “We are trying to find out where they came from,” he said.
Local residents, however, have accused the administration of incompetence and complained of foul smell emanating from the decomposed bodies. “We informed the administration about the matter, but no action has been taken by them,” Akhand, a local resident, told ANI. “If the situation continues like this, there is fear of us getting infected by [the] coronavirus.”
: Wednesday, May 12, 2021, 2:30 AM IST
Bodies tossed into the Ganga: Call it anything but salvation for the departed souls, writes Robin Roy
Body recovered from the Ganga being readied for cremation
As per the âShankh Smritiâ, as long as the ashes of the deceased remain in the Ganga, they are considered to be in a worthy place for a thousand years. Barely a month ago, the Mahakumbh 2021 took place in Haridwar. It ended on April 30 and as per the Kumbh Mela Force, a government body, 9.1 million pilgrims had taken a dip in the Ganga from January 14 to April 27.
Beside this, massive election rallies almost on a daily basis were held across Bengal and Assam and most Indians had conveniently tossed their masks, along with other Covid safety protocols, out of the window. Comeuppance was inevitable. On May 10, the same Ganga where the 9.1 million had taken the holy dip became a dumping ground for the dead.
Bihar: Decomposed bodies of suspected Covid patients pile up on banks of Ganga in Buxar district
While some reports said there were around 10 to 12 bodies, others said there were 40-45 or even 150. Representative Image | Sajjad Hussain/AFP
Dozens of decomposed bodies were seen floating in Ganga river in Bihar’s Buxar district on Monday morning. The bloated bodies later piled up on the banks of the river in Chausa, a village located about 11 km from Buxar city, on Bihar’s border with Uttar Pradesh.
While some reports said there were around 10 to 12 bodies, others said there were 40-45 bodies. Some reports placed the number even higher, at 150 bodies. Villagers and officials suspect these are Covid fatalities who were thrown into the river, leading to massive panic and worry that residents will contract the coronavirus infection.