COVID victim carried to crematorium in excavator in Andhra, CM expresses anguish

Amaravati: The inhuman act of transporting of the mortal remains of a COVID-19 victim using a JCB excavator in Andhra Pradesh has shocked the country.

A 72-year-old victim was on Friday transported by to the crematorium by PPE-clad municipal workers in Udayapuram area of Palasa municipality in Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam district.

The municipal workers placed the dead body covered in a cloth on the front portion of the machine and drove to the cremation ground.

Following the incident, District Collector J Nivas suspended Palasa Municipal Commissioner C Nagender Kumar and the sanitary inspector. He also ordered a probe into the incident.

The man, himself a former employee in the municipality, died at home following illness. He had undergone COVID-19 test during door-to-door drive by the local authorities. The report of the test also came around the time of his death.

As neighbours put pressure on the family to remove the body, the deceased's granddaughter, a government volunteer in the town, called the municipal staff to shift the body for cremation.

Palasa is already in the grip of COVID-19 fear and traders in this town and other parts of the district are voluntarily observing the lockdown.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday took to Twitter to voice his anguish and ordered immediate suspension of the officials concerned of Palasa town in Srikakulam district.

"Shocked to hear the incident of transporting dead body of COVID patient by JCB excavator is at Palasa in Srikakulam district. It is sad that some people are being inhuman at a time when they should show compassion. Serious action should be taken against those responsible so that such incidents do not recur."

Meanwhile, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) President and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu tweeted that he was uterly shocked to see the deceased bodies of coronavirus victims wrapped in plastic & transported on JCBs and tractors. "They deserve respect & dignity even in death. Shame on YS Jagan government for this inhumane treatment of the mortal remains," he tweeted along with a video.

(With IANS inputs.)