It was feared that if COVID-19 spread through India's crowded cities, millions could die. Instead, far fewer people are dying. Funeral workers say the lockdown has averted road and rail accidents, and thwarted some types of crime.
But those who work in funeral services say the drop in mortality, under lockdown, is a bitter illustration of how deadly India can be in normal times. They credit a near-total lockdown that has averted road and railway accidents and thwarted some types of crime.
"We typically get 20 bodies a day, but these days it's one or two, maximum," says Lakshmi Kumar, 46, proprietor of, which offers private ambulance and funeral services in the southern city of Bengaluru but does not handle COVID-19 cases."We still get the occasional heart attack victim, but otherwise it's quiet. There haven't been road accidents, because everyone is staying at home.
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