BHAIRAHAWA: Body of the deceased Gulmi teacher -- the third person to have lost his life to COVID-19 -- was buried today in a forest near Butwal, against religious norms and family consent, claimed his relatives.

Family and relatives of the deceased have expressed their disapproval that local administration, with the help of security personnel, took the deceased's body to the jungle area east of Butwal Dhago Karkhana and buried him there without their consent and against Hindu rituals.

However, it has been learnt that the district administration had planned to cremate the body as per Hindu practice, at two different locations, but was unable to do so after locals protested against it.

The 41-year-old male undergoing treatment at Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Crimson Hospital in Tilottama Municipality of Rupandehi district passed away on Thursday morning.

The patient, a resident of Madane Rural Municipality in Gulmi, was brought to Rupandehi in an ambulance on May 14. According to the hospital, he was admitted for the treatment of Sepsis with MODS (Multi-Organ Dysfunction Syndrome).

During treatment, his swab sample was collected and sent to the Provincial Public Health Laboratory for screening of coronavirus through Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method on May 15, which came out positive on May 18.

Family members and health personnel involved in the patient's treatment tested negative for coronavirus. According to assistant spokesperson at the Provincial Health Directorate, Roshan Lal Chaudhary, 29 persons -- including relatives of the deceased and health workers -- have tested negative for the virus.

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