(Natural News) Iran is building so many burial pits that satellite photos were able to detect them. These new satellite images show that the coronavirus outbreak in Iran may either be worse than what government sources are reporting, or they may be preparing for a possible disaster.

In the city of Qom, just 80 miles south of Tehran, there’s a massive cemetery known as the Behesht-e Masoumeh Complex, which lies around six miles north of the city center. Satellite images from as early as February 21 show that excavation teams have been hard at work creating a new section in the graveyard. By the end of February, two large trenches, around 100 yards in length total, had been dug out — they were so large that they were visible from space.

According to video testimony, official statements as well as analysis from experts, this excavation project wasn’t just a routine expansion of a cemetery, but these fresh graves were dug out to accommodate the country’s near-uncontrollable death toll from the coronavirus pandemic.

The pictures of the new graves were taken on March 1 by Maxar Technologies, a private space technology company based in Colorado. A senior imagery analyst from Maxar told Vox that “the trenches were made very quickly” and that these new graves mark a clear departure from the country’s past burial practices when it comes to individual and family grave plots.

Furthermore, the same Maxar analyst said that they have an image of a large pile of lime right next to the freshly-dug plots. Iranian health officials have previously said that they’re using lime to bury those killed by COVID-19.

A video released by BBC Persia purportedly shows the mass graves in Bahesht-e Masoumeh. In the video, the narrator describes the scenes he’s seeing in the cemetery. (Related: Leaked video published by the BBC shows victims of coronavirus in Iran PILING up in stacks of body bags.)

“This is the section for the coronavirus victims,” says the narrator, as the camera pans to a small portion of the trench, showing small, simple markers placed on mounds of dirt and people in blue protective suits standing nearby. “More than 80 [people] have been buried in this section so far, and they say only 34 deaths.” The man is citing Iran’s official death toll on February 28.

Fabian Hinz, a research associate and geospatial analysis expert for Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, reviewed the video as well as another video that was also supposedly shot on sight, said that “unique geographical markers” in the videos match landmarks found in the massive graveyard. This provides evidence to support the hypothesis that the trenches at Bahesht-e Masoumeh were made to supply Qom with more burials for coronavirus victims.

Mistrust and mishandling hamper Iran’s efforts to combat outbreak

As of press time, Iran reports having 10,075 cases of coronavirus and 429 deaths. They also reported 75 new deaths over the past 24 hours — the most deaths reported by Iran in a single day.

Listen to the helpless pleas of this healthcare worker from Iran: "Please take #CoronaVirus seriously. Don't come out of your homes. We healthcare workers are exhausted. We cannot cope with it any longer".

Due to the negligence of authorities, the virus has spread all over Iran pic.twitter.com/Q4udfdj0b4

— Masih Alinejad