Over 150 bodies of suspected COVID-19 patients have been dumped into the River Ganges amid fears that relatives could not cremate or bury them in latest shocking scene laying India’s crisis bare, the Mail reported on Monday.

The health ministry said new 366,161 cases and 3,754 fatalities were recorded on Monday – both figures are almost certainly undercounts as India looks slated to hit the grim milestone of 250,000 deaths.

The decomposed bodies were found on the banks of the Ganges in the northern state of Bihar on Monday, with residents telling local officials they had spotted dozens floating downstream.

According to the Times of India, there were over 150 bodies seen in the river on Bihar’s border with Uttar Pradesh.  But local officials denied the number, saying there were between 40 and 45 bodies.

One local official told NDTV: “They are bloated and have been in the water for at least 5 to 7 days. We are disposing of the bodies. We need to investigate where they are from, which town in UP – Bahraich or Varanasi or Allahabad.”

“The bodies are not from here as we don’t have a tradition of disposing of bodies in the river,” the official added.

The local administration believes the bodies were COVID-19 patients and local villagers have been left terrified the disease could spread further after dogs were seen wading near the deceased.