Kerala: Residents of Muttambalam have blocked the entrance to the cremation.

A protest erupted in a municipality in Kerala’s Kottayam district after local residents opposed the burial of a Covid-19 victim on Sunday.

Residents of Muttambalam have blocked the entrance to the cremation. They have refused to budge despite the health authorities clarifying that the mortal remains of the deceased will be cremated as per the Covid protocol.

local residents oppose burial of #COVIDー19 victim in Kottayam. @BJP4Keralam councillor also joins the mob @manoramanews#covidkerala pic.twitter.com/JPnq14b0An

— Nisha Purushothaman (@NishaPurushoth2) July 26, 2020

Locals have raised concerns for the residents near the crematorium. A BJP councillor also came out in support of the residents’ demand. Read in Malayalam

Congress MLA and former state minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan is presently holding talks with residents to resolve the deadlock.

The deceased, a native of Chungam, succumbed to the novel coronavirus at the Kottayam Medical College Hospital on Saturday night, as per media reports.

A total of 927 persons in the state were diagnosed with Covid-19 today. According to state Health Minister K K Shailaja, of the new active cases, 733 are cases of infection through contact and the contact source of 67 is not clear. At the same time, 689 patients were cured today.

Among the positive cases, 175 persons from Thiruvananthapuram district, 107 from Kasaragod district, 91 from Pathanamthitta district, 74 in Kollam district, 61 from Ernakulam district, 57 in Kozhikode district, 56 from Malappuram district, 54 in Kottayam district, 48 from Idukki district, 47 in Kannur district, 46 from Alappuzha district, 42 in Palakkad district, 41 from Thrissur district and 28 in Wayanad district.