NEW DELHI — India recorded 4,529 new coronavirus-related deaths on Wednesday morning, marking the highest daily death toll the country has seen since the start of the pandemic.

It's the first time India has reported more than 4,500 deaths in a single day and it brings the country's total virus-related fatalities to 283,248.

India has reported more than 3,000 new COVID-19 deaths every day since April 28.

The South Asian country reported 267,334 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, the third consecutive day it has seen fewer than 300,000 cases amid a devastating second wave of infections.

Wednesday's tally brings the country's total number of confirmed cases to 25,496,330, according to the Indian health ministry.

With hospitals and crematoria overflowing and the health system overwhelmed, it is widely accepted that the official figures grossly underestimate the real impact of the epidemic, with some experts saying infections and deaths could be five to 10 times higher.

There are fears that the new, highly infectious variant is out of control and that many cases are going unreported because of lack of testing, particularly in the vast countryside.

To date, 185.7 million vaccine doses have been administered in India, with 1,279,896 shots recorded on Tuesday, according to the health ministry. — Agencies