The official death toll from the coronavirus has crossed 250,000 in India, but experts fear it could be several times higher
The official death toll from the coronavirus has crossed 250,000 in India, but experts fear it could be several times higher AFP / Arun SANKAR

India has posted another grim record Wednesday in its worsening COVID-19 crisis.

Data from the health ministry showed it has recorded 4,205 deaths over 24-hours, the highest single-day fatalities in South Asia since the pandemic began. This is despite reports saying the numbers are being greatly undercounted, CNBC reported.

India has also posted more than 300,000 daily COVID-19 cases for the past 21 days.

The World Health Organization said the country accounted for half of all COVID-19 cases reported globally last week. It also accounts for 30% of all deaths.

As of Wednesday noon, India has 23.3 million cases, the second largest in the world next to the U.S., according to data from Johns Hopkins University. It also has the third most deaths with 254,194, Brazil is second with 425,540 deaths and the U.S. with 582,848.

India is in the middle of its worst COVID-19 wave yet, with its health care supplies depleted. Hospitals are packed and cremation sites have been built at every corner to accommodate the growing number of deaths daily.

On Monday, 71 decomposing bodies were found floating in the Ganges River. While authorities have yet to determine the cause of death, it is speculated that the deceased are COVID-19 victims.

"Due to the shortage of wood, the dead are being buried in the water," a resident of Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh said, CBS reported.

"Bodies from around 12-13 villages have been buried in the water."

More corpses were found on Tuesday. Uttar Pradesh is one of the worst-hit of India’s COVID-19 second wave.