Tired Gravedigger in Indonesia's Surabaya Hopes Covid-19 Scourge Ends Soon

KOMPAS.com – A gravedigger in Indonesia’s second-largest city of Surabaya hope the Covid-19 pandemic will end as he feels tired from constantly digging graves for the victims.

“When will this be over?" asked Munaji. "It is now very tiring. But there is nothing we can do as this is our duty.”

In an interview with KompasTV on August 24, the 55-year-old gravedigger urged the public to never take the coronavirus lightly. He said that it is important to follow the health protocols as it can reduce deaths from Covid-19.

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Since the coronavirus spread around the big cities in the country in April, his team has dug graves for about 1,500 bodies at two different cemeteries in the city.

“The burial for the Covid-19 victims is real. Since the pandemic began, we have buried about 1,500 bodies,” Munaji said.

He added that at the beginning of the pandemic, he buried approximately 35 bodies in a day.

Media reported recently that Surabaya recorded the highest Covid-19 death rates, which stood at 8.62 percent from its confirmed cases.

He said that together with his team, he continued to carry out his work with a sincere heart. They are on standby 24 hours at the designated cemetery. He said that he carries out his duty out of humanity and respect.

(Editor: Michael Hangga Wismabrata)

Source: https://regional.kompas.com/read/2020/08/25/05150051/kubur-1.500-jenazah-covid-19-penggali-makam-di-surabaya--kapan-ini-berakhir-?page=all#page3.