India's coronavirus cases crossed 4 million on Saturday, leading the world in new infections and deepening the misery in the country's vast hinterlands where surges have crippled the underfunded health care system.
Initially, the virus ravaged India's sprawling and densely populated cities. It has since stretched to almost every state, spreading through villages and smaller towns.
With a population of nearly 1.4 billion people, India's massive caseload isn't surprising experts. The country's delayed response to the virus forced the government to implement a harsh lockdown in late March. For more than two months, the economy remained shuttered, buying time for health workers to prepare for the worst.