Puri: Cremations were delayed for several hours at Puri’s Swargadwara on Wednesday after a shortage of firewood left around 25 bodies awaiting cremation, triggering tension among grieving families.
Relatives who had brought the bodies to the crematorium from around 9 am were reportedly forced to wait until the evening, with some waiting for nearly seven hours. Queues formed as families waited for their turn to perform the last rites.
The firewood, expected to arrive in the morning, reached Swargadwara only around 5 pm after the vehicle carrying it reportedly got stuck on the road amid rain triggered by the depression over the Bay of Bengal.
However, the delay continued as most of the wood that arrived was wet due to the rain. The damp firewood generated heavy smoke and made cremation difficult.
Around 1.5 quintals of wood is required for cremating one body, adding to the logistical challenge amid the shortage.
The situation at Swargadwara remained tense as families struggled to complete the cremation of their loved ones after waiting for several hours.
