Charities in Myanmar strained by soaring death tolls

Charity groups in Myanmar say the number of people dying in the country’s cities, which are facing a coronavirus surge and a shortage of oxygen to treat patients, has been climbing so quickly that they are struggling to keep up with funeral arrangements

BANGKOK -- Charity groups in Myanmar said Wednesday that the number of people dying in the country's cities, which are facing a coronavirus surge and a shortage of oxygen to treat patients, has been climbing so quickly that they are struggling to keep up with funeral arrangements. Crematoriums in Yangon, the country’s biggest city, are working from morning to night, funeral workers said. A staff member from Yay Way Cemetery, the city’s busiest, said its three crematoriums are in nonstop operation from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Like most workers involved with funeral arrangements, he asked not to be named because of the government’s sensitivity about its handling of the COVID-19 crisis. The military-installed government that seized power in February routinely arrests critics for statements it considers either fake news or disturbing public order. The exact number of cremations and burials held each day has not been announced by city officials, but charity officials and unofficial estimates on social media say more than 100 bodies have been brought every day to Yay Way Cemetery recently, with more than 200 on Wednesday. The city's other cemeteries also report higher than the usual numbers.