26. Pyres in the Parking Lot, Part 1

They were the images that defined the deadly Delta wave for India in early 2021. Hundreds of funeral pyres, burning nonstop for days and weeks on end. There were so many them, the ashes of those lost choking the air, that Indians were forced to burn their dead in the parking lot outside the traditional areas. And still, dozens more waited outside to cremate their dead relatives. There were so many cremations that wood was running out. We talk about India's Delta Disaster, what led to it, why didn't the government shut down, and how bad it got. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gBnCaXgXJLmJIP2G3ZlwoCnJ-BlyUDEOVNA4MjEq214/edit?usp=sharing