In order to prevent a collapse in the funeral system in the face of a new rise in coronavirus cases, the Brazilian Amazon metropolis of Manaus plans to create 22,000 vertical graves.
The construction will begin "in the coming days", mayor of the capital of the state of Amazonas David Almeida told the regional television channel Bom Dia Amazonia.
"We have to use the space we have and we will make the Taruma cemetery vertical," the mayor said on Friday.
Taruma is one of the cemeteries where mass graves were laid in Brazil during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020.
The number of coronavirus deaths in Brazil exceeded the 200,000-mark on Thursday.
Now the scenario from early last year could repeat itself, when many hospitals and cemeteries reached their limits.
At the same time, the largest country in Latin America is still without a vaccination campaign for the population.
After President Jair Bolsonaro initially played down the coronavirus, he is now also casting doubt on vaccination.
Australian Associated Press
