India’s COVID-19 death toll has been increasing rapidly since mid-February, as the number of new reported cases continues to break records.

The Indian authorities have reported 17.3 million new cases – the highest number since the pandemic began more than a year ago – and said the country is facing a severe shortage of oxygen for medical purposes. A number of countries have extended a helping hand to the South Asian nation, pledging to provide it with the necessary medical aid, as India has registered over 360,000 new cases over the past 24 hours, with the death toll crossing the grim 200,000 mark.