Indore New Coronavirus Hotspot In Madhya Pradesh, Records 72% Of State Deaths

A city always bustling with commercial and socio-cultural activities, Indore has turned into the coronavirus infection hotspot in Madhya Pradesh, accounting for 27 of the state's 36 death due to the viral infection. The city has reported the highest death rate at 11% or over three times the national average, and accounts for more than half of the state's 451 COVID-19 cases.

The spike in number of infections in Indore -- ranked the cleanest city in the country for the third time in a row last year in the Central government's cleanliness survey -- has raised alarm among the officials.

Officials are also concerned about the steep rise in the number of bodies brought for burial in Muslim graveyards in the city.

While the Mahu Naka graveyard reported 64 burials from April 1-9, graveyard for Taat Patti Bahkhal and adjourning areas like Khajrana showed 34 burials, Sirpur - 29 and Luniapura - 56, taking the total to 183 bodies buried in nine days.

While 130 burials took place in March, 98 were reported in February and 113 bodies were buried in January. The register in these graveyards mention cause of death such as blood pressure, diabetes, and other ailments among the cause of death.

A official in one of the cemetaries pointed that "doctors in these areas have closed their clinics" due to the spread of coronavirus.

A family, who came to the graveyard for the last rites of their father, also raised a similar concern. "My father's health condition deteriorated because of diabetes and blood pressure, but nobody provided him the much needed ventilator. After he died they didn't allow us to take his body back home," said Arshad Ansari, who came to the graveyard for the last rites of his father.

"Nobody even helped in taking oxygen cylinder near my father, no ward boy, or nurse. They didn't even touch my father," Arshad Ansari's younger brother, Afzal Ansari, added.

The maximum number of coronavirus cases have been reported in Muslim-dominated areas of Khajrana, Chandannagar, Ranipura, Tatpatti Bakhal and Silawatpura areas, prompting the intelligence agencies to start an inquiry.

"It has come to my notice. We will have to check last year's data as well as data from the past five years but we don't have time, if something comes up we will definitely make an inquiry," said district collector Manish Singh.