Disruptions in the supply of liquefied natural gas due to the war in the Middle East have forced the Indian city of Vijayawada to close crematoriums. Now, relatives are buying firewood to hold funerals
This is reported by The Times of India.
For example, the Swargapuri crematorium, one of the most affordable facilities in the city, has stopped operating. Usually, a cremation using liquefied gas costs about 3 000 rupees ($37), and a free car is provided to transport the body. But now, due to a shortage of commercial cylinders, the service has been discontinued.
Now, city residents are forced to spend more than double that on firewood: nearly 7 000 rupees ($85). Meanwhile, people living near the crematorium are concerned about pollution — there is a lot of smoke after cremations with wood.
Previously, the media had already written about the closure of crematoriums in other major cities in India: Pune, Bhubaneswar, and others.
War in the Middle East
On the morning of February 28, the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. These attacks killed Iranʼs Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and almost the entire military leadership of the country — about 40 key high-ranking officials. A new ayatollah was elected on March 8, and he was Mojtaba Khamenei (the son of the deceased Ali Khamenei).
Iran, in response to the US and Israeli attacks, has begun shelling US bases in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE and firing missiles at Israel. Some Iranian drones and missiles have hit infrastructure and residential areas in Arab countries.
The conflict has brought tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow sea corridor between Iran and Oman that connects the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean, to a near standstill. About a fifth of the world’s oil exports pass through it — tens of millions of barrels a day. Oil, gas, and precious metals have skyrocketed in price.
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