Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday condoled the demise of veteran Indian-American journalist Brahm Kanchibotla who died of coronavirus, saying he will be remembered for his fine work. Kanchibhotla, who was a former contributor to news agency United News of India, died at a New York hospital on Monday night.

PM Modi took to Twitter and said, “Deeply anguished by the passing away of Indian-American journalist Mr. Brahm Kanchibotla. He will be remembered for his fine work and efforts to bring India and USA closer. Condolences to his family and friends. Om Shanti.”

Many Indian-Americans have come in the grip of the novel coronavirus and have tested positive in the US. Many of them have died, according to multiple news reports from community organisations and diaspora leaders.

Although there is no official or unofficial data available on Indian-Americans infected with the coronavirus in the country, information available on various private social media groups indicate that a significant number of them are in New York and New Jersey, the two states, which have the highest concentration of Indian-Americans in the US, are also the worst hit by the coronavirus in the country.

By Monday, over 170,000 people tested positive in these two states and fatalities crossed 5,700.

“Really shocking that this is happening to the community. Cannot believe that this is happening to us and the people we know,” said Indian-American Rajendra Dichpally.

According to the Indian-American community leaders every day they have been receiving reports of their near and dear ones and other testing positive. Some of them, including a former president of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) have been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit.

Several community leaders both in the New York metropolitan area and Greater Washington Area of Maryland and Virginia have tested positive.

While the majority of them are in self-quarantine in their homes, many of them have been admitted to hospitals.

Dr Mukul S Chandra, medical director of the Cardiac Preventive Care and Research at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio is on a ventilator fighting COVID-19.

Community members in an appeal are seeking a plasma donor who tested positive for COVID-19 and then made a full recovery.

Nearly 20,000 people have died of coronavirus in the US in the last 24 hours. The country has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the world at 364,723.  Fatalities on the US have crossed 10,000 mark.