India marks record daily Covid-19 deaths after Bihar adjusts data

India’s Covid-19 death tally surged by a record 6,148 fatalities on Thursday as the eastern Bihar state reported numbers roughly 72 per cent higher than its previous recorded toll, confirming speculation that the devastation in the Asian nation has been far worse than official data show.

 

Bihar’s Health Department on Wednesday said Covid-19 had killed 9,429 people in the Indian state, nearly double its previous count. Authorities didn’t specify when the deaths occurred.

 

Patna district, which houses the capital city, reported the highest number of deaths at 862, according to a statement posted on the government’s Twitter account.

 

The Patna High Court last month expressed concern about inconsistency in the death toll prese­nted by government officials in separate affidavits, the Hindu newspaper reported.