India crossed a grim milestone Wednesday of more than 200,000 reported COVID-19 deaths as a devastating surge in cases continued to tear through communities and overwhelm health-care systems.

The health ministry reported a single-day record 3,293 COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing India’s total fatalities to 201,187, as the world’s second-most populous country endures its darkest chapter of the pandemic yet.

The country also reported 362,757 new infections, a new global high, which raised the overall total past 17.9 million.