The Covid-19 death toll in India has passed 300,000 as a devastating surge of new infections shows no signs of easing.

The country’s health ministry on Monday reported 4,454 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing India’s total fatalities to 303,720.

India has the third most deaths, behind the United States and Brazil, but experts believe the true toll is significantly greater.

As megacities such as Mumbai and New Delhi see some signs of improvement, the virus appears to be taking a ghastly toll in the country’s vast rural areas.

A majority of India’s people live in rural areas, where health care is limited.