Viral Video: Covid Patient’s Body Being Thrown Into River

As India continues to struggle with the catastrophic second wave, the uncountable devasting scenes and copious amounts of horrific stories have sadly become an increasing prevalence. Another such incident shook everybody as a viral video shows the dead body of a Covid patient being thrown in a river.

The video was recorded in Uttar Pradesh by people who were driving by the spot in the Balrampur district. After several bodies of suspected COVID-19 victims floated at the Mahadeo ghat (bank) of the Ganga earlier this month at Chausa village in Bihar, the Centre has ordered northern states to ensure that dead bodies are not disposed of in rivers. But the new video shows one man clad in a PPE suit, lifting a body on the bridge over river Rapti, with the help of another man.

The man in PPE was also seen getting the body out of the body bag. After the viral video created outrage, the Chief Medical Officer of Balrampur confirmed the body of being a Covid patient. He revealed that the relatives of the dead man were trying to dump it in the river. Two of the relatives have been arrested. A case has been filed against them and the body has been handed back to them.

“Preliminary investigations have revealed that the patient was admitted to hospital on May 25, and he died three days later on May 28. As per Covid protocol, the body was handed over to his relatives. Preliminary investigations reveal that the relatives threw the body into the river. We have filed a case and strict action will be taken,” said Balrampur Chief Medical Officer VB Singh.

The month of May, which is declared as the deadliest of all months ever since the pandemic began also witnessed heartbreaking sights of hundreds of bodies being washed away on the banks of river Ganga and 71 bodies were retrieved from the riverbank in the Buxur district. Also, a few viral videos on the internet showed how bodies being thrown into the river from ambulances stopping at a bridge near Bihar border in Saran district