NEW DELHI â India crossed another grim milestone May 24Â with more than 300,000 people lost to the coronavirus, while a devastating surge of infections appeared to be easing in big cities but was swamping the poorer countryside.
India-West adds: Public health experts believe the death toll could be five times higher than reported numbers, surpassing more than one million.
The milestone, as recorded by Indiaâs Health Ministry, comes as slowed vaccine deliveries have marred the countryâs fight against the pandemic, forcing many to miss their shots, and a rare but fatal fungal infection affecting COVID-19 patients has worried doctors.
Indiaâs death toll is the third-highest reported in the world after the U.S. and Brazil, accounting for 8.6 percent of the nearly 34.7 million coronavirus fatalities globally, though the true numbers are thought to be significantly greater.