India has recorded its highest daily coronavirus death toll since the pandemic began – a day after it became the first country to see more than 400,000 new cases.
Its health ministry said 3,689 people had died within the past 24 hours.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the health minister on Sunday morning to review the crisis.
Hospitals are battling to treat patients amid a chronic shortage of beds and medical oxygen.
Distressing images of families begging for hospital beds and life-saving supplies have been emerging for more than 10 days, while morgues and crematoriums remain overwhelmed.
Amid the crisis, vote counting started on Sunday for elections held in five states in March and April.
On Saturday, 12 people died at Delhi’s Batra Hospital after it ran out of oxygen – for the second time in a week.
The Times of India newspaper reported 16 deaths in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh due to oxygen shortages in two hospitals, and six in the Delhi suburb of Gurgaon.
Delhi High Court has now declared it will start punishing officials if life-saving supplies don’t make it to hospitals.
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