Volunteers take responsibility of burying Coronavirus Coffins in Vijayawada

Coronavirus in Andhra Pradesh: At the time when everybody gripped in fear of COVID19 and could not dare even to touch the patients, a group of four people have been rendering an unimaginable voluntary service in Vijayawada in burying the dead bodies with due funeral respects.

The volunteers have been burying the COVID19 infected dead bodies of Muslims in particular and Christians when required. While burying the body, they have been offering prayers to Allah.

Md Fathullah, Mohammed Farooq Shubli, Moulana Md Hussain Ahmed and Abdul Ravoof and others doing this service in Vijayawada. Moulana Hussain has been offering the Namaaz E Janaza (offering prayers) as part of funeral rites.

Speaking to this correspondent, Farooq Shubli, said that in an incident in Guntur, a deceased Muslim coffin was cremated instead of burying due to various reasons. After seeing that, we have decided to take the responsibility of burying the Muslim bodies. From the last two and half months, it has been continuing. At least 78 virus infected deceased bodies were buried in both Vijayawada and Guntur as on Monday, he added.

Farooq informed that as soon as a COVID patient dies at a hospital, the government officials have been informing us along with the family members of the concerned. Wherever the family members show the place, we will go and bury the deceased after following all the COVID19 guidelines. Basically, we must know that a dead body would not spread the virus, unless we touch it and remove the cover on it. We touch the packed body only one time to put it on a ten feet cloth. After placing the body on the cloth, we complete the prayers. Then, will place the body through the help of the cloth in the 12 feet pit and close the pit. At the time of handovering the body to these volunteers, the government is providing the PPE kits and others for their safety.

He also added that they have been striving to form similar teams in all the districts. At present, the two persons or three persons joined to deliver the services at Rajahmundry, Vizag, Kurnool, Guntur and Tirupati.

Abdul Ravoof, an MBA final year student explained that after seeing some pathetic incidents at the Kabristan (Cemetery), he decided to render service voluntarily and joined hands with the team. He said that when the people came to know that the deceased was infected with coronavirus, no one was coming forward to attend even the last rites.