Japanese carmaker to aid in India’s virus battle

ANKARA

Japanese automotive giant Suzuki on Thursday announced it will divert its oxygen supply to help in India’s battle against COVID-19.

The carmaker will halt production at three plants in India from this Saturday until May 9 to make oxygen used in the manufacturing process available for coronavirus patients, Kyodo News reported.

Oxygen is used for welding and other processes in car output.

“Oxygen should be used to save lives,” said an unnamed Suzuki official quoted in the report.

The move comes as the coronavirus situation in India continues worsening by the day, with a record high of 3,645 more fatalities and 379,257 infections reported on Thursday.

The crisis has overwhelmed hospitals and triggered a shortage of oxygen in the country of over 1.36 billion people.