Indian coronavirus death toll crosses 200,000 threshold amid devastating surge

A relative of a patient who died of Covid-19 mourns outside a hospital in Ahmedabad (AP)

India’s coronavirus death toll now stands at more than 200,000 lives lost, as a devastating surge of new infections tears through cities and rural areas alike and leaves healthcare systems on the brink of collapse.

The health ministry reported a single-day record 3,293 Covid-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing India’s total fatalities to 201,187, as the world’s second-most populous country endures its darkest chapter of the pandemic yet.