India declares more lockdowns as Covid surge hits southern states

Two southern states in India have become the latest to declare lockdowns as coronavirus cases surge at breakneck speed across the country (Channi Anand/AP)

Two southern states in India have become the latest to declare lockdowns as coronavirus cases surge at breakneck speed across the country and pressure mounts on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to implement a nationwide shutdown.

Karnataka’s capital, Bengaluru, has the highest active caseload of any Indian city at more than 300,000, but experts warn that the worst is still to come as India’s third largest city buckles under oxygen shortages, overrun hospitals and crowded crematoriums.