Sangli: In a bizarre incident, the body of a youth was taken for cremation in a municipality garbage vehicle on Tuesday. The matter came to limelight after a video of same went viral on several social media platforms.
According to the reports, the deceased youth who returned from Raigad district on May 11 was asked to undergo home quarantine for 14 days by the district administration.
During the period of quarantine, the youth developed some stomach problem after which he was shifted to a nearby hospital. Later, the man succumbed on Monday night.
The news of his death created panic among the residents as a rumour was spread that the youth had returned from the COVID-19 infected region and probably died due to coronavirus.
The relatives of the deceased requested the municipal administration to conduct the cremation due to the lockdown. Subsequently, the administration has sent a garbage vehicle to carry the dead body of the deceased.
However, when ETV Bharat contacted Municipal Corporation Chief Abhijit Harale, he said, "We had come forward for the funeral, but since no one in the municipality or taluka had an ambulance, the municipal administration asked the health administration to carry the body. An ambulance was called, but there was no response even after six hours. We also tried to take the body in another vehicle, but no one came forward due to the fake news over the youth's death. The municipal administration has no choice but to fully sanitize the garbage truck and take the youth's body for cremation in that vehicle."
Further, Harale maintained that the municipal body was forced to do the needful due to the fake news spread among the residents of the area.
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