Hisar man who lit pyres of over 300 Covid victims dies of infection two days after testing positive

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hisar, May 18

Praveen Kumar, the man who cremated over 300 bodied of Covid victims, succumbed to the infection at a private hospital on Monday night.

He was the president of the Hisar MC Safai Karamchari Union.

He had tested positive for Covid two days back and was rushed to the hospital after his oxygen level started dipping on Sunday. 

Rajesh Bagri, a team member, said that Praveen could not be admitted to a hospital immediately as they struggled to get a bed for him for three hours.

He said finally a bed was arranged in a private hospital after they approached higher administrative authorities in the town.

Praveen was heading the team of the MC employees who were engaged for cremation of the Covid victims at the Rishi Nagar cremation ground in Hisar.

Praveen had a few days back told The Tribune that “he never thought that he would have to perform such an ‘odd job’ in his life”.

He would cremate over 20 bodies in a day. Hisar has witnessed 750 deaths due to Covid, which is the highest in the state.