Dozens of bodies surface from sandy graves as Ganga breaches banks in Prayagraj

The state government deployed security personnel along the banks of major rivers to prevent the dumping of bodies

Dozens of bodies, which were buried in the sand, were seen floating in the Ganga river in Prayagraj, about 200 kilometres from Lucknow, after the water levels of the river rose sharply following incessant rains and discharge of water from the dams.

Officials said the bodies, which were seen floating near Phaphamau Ghat, appeared to be of patients who died from Covid-19.

According to sources in Prayagraj, more than 90 bodies have so far been cremated in accordance with rituals by the local administration.

''Some of the bodies appeared to be freshly buried... they were not decomposed,'' said a senior official on Friday.

Sources said the bodies had started emerging out of the sandy graves since Thursday morning as the water level of the rivers began to rise.

Officials said these bodies had been buried in sand pits, which were barely three to four feet deep, and were afloat after the river breached its banks following heavy rainfall in the past few days.

''We expect more bodies to surface once the water levels rise further as a large number of bodies are buried in such pits along the bank of Ganga in the district,'' the official said.

Hundreds of bodies, mostly of Covid victims, were either dumped in the rivers or buried on their banks when the second wave of the pandemic was at its peak in the state.

The state government later deployed security personnel along the banks of the major rivers to prevent the dumping of bodies.