Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh), Jun 1 (IANS): The dread of coronavirus made a family abandon the body of a 35-year-old kin on the roadside even though he had died of asthma and heart ailment complications, police said on Monday.

The migrant worker had returned to his village in Pratapgarh from Mumbai four days ago and was brought to the Swaroop Rani Hospital here on Saturday due to breathing and heart diseases.

Raniganj Deputy SP Atul Anjan Tripathi told reporters: "While returning home after consulting a doctor, his condition deteriorated suddenly and he breathed his last. The family members suspected that he had died of coronavirus, left his body outside the village, and went home."

The body was spotted by area people lying abandoned on the roadside at Damdam village under Raniganj police station on the Prayagraj-Pratapgarh highway early Sunday morning.

Police traced the family but it refused to take possession of the body for cremation.

"The migrant was advised 21-day home quarantine after thermal scanning and medical examination. He had a history of asthma and heart ailment."

A health team later analysed the dead man's medical history and said that he died of complications due to asthma and heart ailment.

Senior police and health officials then convinced the family that he did not die of coronavirus and even took a sample from the body and sent it for testing.

Officials gave the family PPE kits and sanitiser to allay their fears. The body was finally consigned to flames in Prayagraj on Sunday evening.