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Praise for Delhi Officer Who 'Has Helped Over 1,100 Last Rites' Amid COVID Crisis

Police in Delhi have praised Assistant Sub-Inspector Rakesh Kumar, who they said has “helped over 1,100 last rites” in the past few weeks as the city, along with the rest of India, battles a crippling wave of COVID-19 infections.

Delhi recorded 20,960 new COVID-19 cases in one day, a record high, officials reported on May 6. The capital territory recorded 311 deaths on the same day.

The number of confirmed cases reported nationally on May 6, 412,262, was also a record. It brought the number of active cases in the country to 3,566,398.

This footage shows police on duty at a Delhi crematorium. Staff at the city’s Lodhi Crematorium told local media that they were receiving 60 to 100 bodies to be cremated every day, exceeding their 47-body capacity.

Speaking to the Indian Express, Rakesh Kumar said, “Since April 13, I have helped cremate more than 1,100 bodies. Many of them had COVID. Their family members couldn’t make it.” Credit: @DelhiPolice via Storyful