Lucknow: Imalia village situated on the outskirts of Lucknow is embedded in silent shock and grief. Seven members of a family died within a span of 20 days between April 25 and May 15.
The eighth member was unable to bear the shock of successive deaths and died following cardiac arrest.
The deceased include four brothers of the family. According to Omkar Yadav, who is now the surviving head of the family, “My four brothers, two sisters and mother died of COVID within days of each other. My aunt could not bear the shock and she died of heart attack.”
He further said, “I have performed the last rites of my mother in the morning and then cremated three brothers, the same afternoon. My younger brother and two sisters died in the following days.”
Yadav said that his family members were taken to a hospital but they were not provided oxygen beds and proper treatment.
On Monday, he performed the ‘Tehravi’ ritual of five members of the family. Rituals for the remaining three members will be performed later. Mewaram, the head of the village, said that not a single representative from the government had even visited the village.
He said that despite the spate of deaths, sanitization in the village had not taken place. “We have been left to fend for ourselves and die without treatment,” he added.
The children in the family are yet unable to fathom why so many elders have suddenly disappeared. “We sent them to a neighbour’s house when the bodies came in. They still think that the missing members will return soon,” said a family member.
He also voiced his concern about the future of these children who have lost their parents.
“We are not even sure if there will be any government assistance for us because no one has even contacted us till now,” the family member said.