Lucknow, April 16: A fire broke out at the Baikunth Dham crematorium in Lucknow after a dead body was burnt under a plastic shed allegedly due to space crunch. According to a report, a sudden spike in COVID-19 cases in Lucknow has left crematoriums short of space and firewood. Even bid crematoriums like the Baikunth Dham crematorium are running out of space for last rites of dead people. Lucknow Civic Body Prepares Crematoriums to Cope with Rise in COVID Fatalities.

Facing space crunch, a body was burnt under a plastic shed at the Baikunth Dham crematorium on Thursday. As the body was burnt, the fire engulfed the plastic shed, causing severe damages to it. The crematorium recently witnessed a sharp increase in arrivals of dead bodies owing to a spurt in coronavirus-related deaths in the state capital. UP Govt Increasing Capacity of Crematoriums Instead of Hospitals: Priyanka Gandhi.

A video showing many pyres at the crematorium also emerged on the internet, leaving the Uttar Pradesh government, headed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, under massive criticism. After facing flak, the Lucknow administration started erecting temporary tin walls so that people passing by the crematorium could not see the burning pyres and record videos.

The city administration has also intensified efforts to procure more electric crematoriums to make sure families of COVID-19 victims do not face problems in conducting the last rites of their loved ones. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi recently slammed CM Yogi Adityanath on the COVID-19 situation in the state, saying that his government is increasing the number of crematoriums instead of capacities in the hospitals.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 16, 2021 11:45 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).