Indian has 16 million confirmed infections and registered a record number of cases on Thursday, while at least two hospitals in the capital of Delhi reported running out of oxygen.
The BBC reports that a number of people have died while waiting for oxygen supplies, and the majority of intensive care beds in Delhi hospitals are full.
Three other states – Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana – are also facing a critical shortage of oxygen, while other states like Maharashtra are seeing depleting supplies.
On Thursday, India recorded the highest one-day tally of new cases anywhere in the world. There were 314 835 new coronavirus cases during the previous 24 hours, while deaths rose by 2 104.
BBC India correspondent Yogita Limaye is quoted as saying that Delhi is known to have among the best healthcare facilities in India, but it has been brought to its knees by the latest surge in cases.
[Image: Gwydion M. Williams, flickr]