Harrowing footage shows mass graves being dug in Brazil as deaths surge due to Coronavirus

Harrowing footage from a Brazilian city hit by the Coronavirus pandemic shows mass graves being dug as authorities struggle with the pandemic.

Manaus, in north-western Brazil, with a population of 1.7m, is continuing to bury bodies at an alarming rate as deaths surge due to the pandemic.

A cemetery in the city has seen a 500 per cent increase in the number of bodies it has to bury now compared with before the Covid-19 outbreak.

Aerial footage of the cemetery shows the scale of burials taking place in the region. Coffins arrive wrapped in plastic film to help stop the spread of the disease.

The surge of Covid-19 cases in Brazil is spawning fear that construction workers, truck drivers and tourists from Latin America’s biggest nation will spread the disease to neighbouring countries that are doing a better job of controlling the coronavirus.

The country’s borders remain open, there are virtually no quarantines or curfews and President Jair Bolsonaro continues to scoff at the seriousness of the disease.

When questioned about the number of Coronavirus victims in the country, Brazil's president, Jair Bolsonaro, said he "doesn't do miracles".

"What do you want me to do?" he asked. "I am Messias (his full name is Jair Messias Bolsonaro), but I don't do miracles."

There have been at least 79,361 confirmed coronavirus cases in Brazil, with 5,511 deaths.

Earlier this week, it was reported cases of Covid-19 are overwhelming hospitals, morgues and cemeteries across Brazil as the country veers closer to becoming one of the world’s pandemic hot spots.

At the main Taruma cemetery, a new area has been opened where undertakers were digging rows of graves and now just trenches for five coffins at a time.

The Taruma mayor’s office said the city’s funeral system was collapsing and running out of coffins.

In Rio de Janeiro, cemeteries have accelerated construction of above-ground vaults to entomb deceased patients.

Undertakers in Manaus even resorted to burying coffins one on top of the other this week, but the city stopped the practice after grieving relatives protested.

Comments

See how Tinubu reacts to #EndSARS protests, says police reforms has begun

See how Tinubu reacts to #EndSARS protests, says police reforms has begun National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu has said the protest against police brutality in Nigeria is within the constitutional right of Nigerians. “Asiwaju Tinubu believes in the right of Nigerians to freedom of expression, assembly, and protest where and when necessary, he has always canvassed the need for people to explore peaceful channels to ventilate their views and demands,” Tinubu said in a statement by his media aide Tunde Rahman. “He believes the #EndSARS protesters have made their demands, which the Federal Government is studying.” Tinubu’s statement comes after being alleged of being one of the sponsors of the ongoing nationwide protest against brutality, extortion, harassment and extrajudicial killing by police personnel. The Cattle’s Breeders Association known as Miyetti Allah had earlier accused Tinubu of using the protest to distort the administration of President Muh...

Operators seek tax holiday, subsidy to save airlines

Operators seek tax holiday, subsidy to save airlines Worried by the fate that awaits local carriers, operators yesterday, appealed to the Federal Government to introduce some economic recovery measures to safeguard airlines from collapse. The operators, currently burdened by recurrent costs, are seeking aviation intervention fund at an interest rate of not more than five per cent. They suggested that government could take a cue from the American model of offering 50 per cent funding and grants, and 50 per cent palliatives through waivers and suspension of taxes, levies and fees among others. Besides, they called for the implementation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Executive Order on Removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) from all forms of transportation; as domestic airlines are still the only forms of transportation paying VAT. The current restriction of both local and foreign commercial flight services has forced domestic carriers into fin...

Senate to write Buhari over dead lawmaker on FCC board

Senate to write Buhari over dead lawmaker on FCC board Senate President Ahmad Lawan will draw the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari to the erroneous inclusion of a dead person on the list of nominees sent to the Senate, The Guardian has learnt. It emerged on Wednesday that the list for the appointment of members into the Federal Character Commission (FCC) included the late Tobias Chukwuemeka Okwuru, a former member of the House of Representatives from Ebonyi State. Okwuru, the 12th on the 38-person list died in February 2020, aged 59. Until his demise, he had acted as chairman of the House Committee on Environment and had represented Ikwo/Ezza Federal Constituency between 2011 and 2015. This is, however, not the first time names of the dead have featured in appointments by Buhari since he became president in May 2015. In 2017, the names of five persons said to be dead appeared on a list of appointments onto the boards of federal agencies and corporations. They were:...

Gtechone

Search This Blog