Indian officials entered a deep forest, investigating reports of several missing persons from a nearby town. What they found was the "Tower of Silence" or Dakhma. Parsis use these sites to dispose of dead bodies in the open air.
While such sites are not uncommon in some parts of India, several peculiarities point to something more unusual...
None of the bodies seen in the picture have been identified. Nearby villagers, although initially surprised at the sheer number of dead bodies in Dakhma, proved unable to identify the bodies. The corpses also did not match the description of the missing.
There were no animals around except insects and flies. Zoroastrians rely on birds (i.e. buzzards) to house the bodies, in the belief that they are contributing back to the earth. Officials found that the corpses were relatively untouched by any kind of animal.
There is no official count of dead bodies. In fact, very little work was actually done on the site and that is probably why only one picture has emerged. The officers avoided the spot – not only because they felt uncomfortable seeing it, but also for the following:
The deep crater in the center of the picture was filled with blood several feet - more than the body outside could ever supply. The stench was so unbearable that many officers felt nauseous the first time they approached Dakhma.
The campaign was over when a villager accidentally kicked a small bone into the pit, which had penetrated the frozen surface of the pool. The disintegrating blood from the crater caused a huge explosion of gas, splashing the photographers along with the people watching in it.
Those caught in the blast were immediately sent to the hospital, where they were quarantined for possible infection. Despite admitting to no familiarity with the religion, he became feverish, shouting about "being tainted with the blood of Ahriman" (the embodiment of evil in Zoroastrianism).
In fact, many of them had no idea what dakhma was when they found it. The delirium turned into insanity as several people started attacking the hospital staff until they were knocked unconscious. The fever eventually killed them all.
When officers returned with HAZMAT gear the next day, the site was empty. All the bodies were removed and, astonishingly, pools of blood flowed into the pit. All that remained of the incident was this picture.
