Countries send aid to ease India's oxygen emergency

International efforts are underway to help India as the country suffers critical oxygen shortages amid a devastating surge in Covid-19 cases.

The UK has begun sending ventilators and oxygen concentrator devices; the EU members are seeking to send oxygen and medicine.

The US said it would provide raw materials for vaccines that had previously been under export controls.

India's capital Delhi has extended its lockdown as overcrowded hospitals continue to turn patients away.

The Indian Government has approved plans for more than 500 oxygen generation plants across the country to boost supplies.

India reported 349,691 more cases in the 24 hours to Sunday morning and another 2767 deaths.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged all citizens to be vaccinated and exercise caution.

The Modi government has faced criticism that it let its guard down, allowed big religious and political gatherings to take place when India's cases plummeted to below 10,000 a day and did not plan on building up the healthcare systems.

Hospitals and doctors have put out urgent notices that they were unable to cope with the rush of patients.