In Indonesia, gravediggers’ heavy workload points to under-reported death toll
- At least 2,107 people have been buried under Covid-19 safety protocols in the epicentre of Jakarta alone – nearly double the reported national toll
- Other cities have also seen unusually high burial figures in recent months and government officials acknowledge data is patchy and incomplete
Indonesian gravedigger Junaidi Hakim has to work hard to summon his weary colleagues in a never-ending race to bury victims of the coronavirus pandemic at a cemetery in Jakarta.
The team switches quickly from digging fresh graves to burying the bodies – aiming to get the task done in under 10 minutes to lessen the chance of getting infected themselves.
“The most worrying part is when we’re unloading a coffin because we have to touch it,” said 42-year-old Hakim, a father of four.
“We feel a bit relieved after it’s buried.”
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Some 50 gravediggers at Pondok Ranggon cemetery – one of two earmarked for Covid-19 victims in the Indonesian capital – are working up to 15 hours a day, seven days a week, for monthly wages of 4.2 million rupiah (US$290).