U.K. to send ventilators and other medical equipment to India

India surpassed the U.S. record of 297,430 single-day infections anywhere in the world on Thursday, making it the global epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. /Xinhua

The U.K. government on Sunday said it would send more than 600 medical equipment including oxygen concentrators and ventilators to India to boost its COVID-19 response amid a worrying spike in cases and deaths.

The Asian country's daily virus-related deaths surpassed a record 2,600 on April 24 as the government battles to get oxygen supplies to hospitals.

Reports indicate that the country doesn't have enough crematoriums, and new ones are being built to cope with the increase in fatalities.

Its 16,960,172 infections are the second-highest globally, only shadowed by the tally recorded by the United States.

On the other hand, its 192,311 COVID-19 fatalities are the fourth-highest recorded in the world.

India surpassed the U.S. record of 297,430 single-day infections anywhere in the world on Thursday, making it the global epicenter of a pandemic that is waning in many other countries.

The federal government had declared it had beaten back the coronavirus in February and lifted restrictions, allowing for the resumption of big gatherings. This move sparked criticism from some experts who believe it was a mistake.

Other experts believe the currently is currently hurting from a more dangerous variant of the virus.

India is the world's second most populous country and people live in close proximity, often six to a room.

Experts have called upon the government to ramp up vaccinations and impose strict lockdowns in the so-called red zones of high infection.

(With input from agencies)