54 Indian journalists have succumbed to coronavirus in the last year. India now has the highest fatalities of journalists in Asia.

Bangladesh has the second-highest casualties with 44 deaths of media persons, followed by Pakistan (23), Afghanistan (9), Nepal (3), Indonesia (2), Japan (1) etc, informed Switzerland based media watchdog Press Emblem Campaign (PEC).

Due to coronavirus complications, India recently lost Marathi scribe Nandkumar Sonar on January 24 and Malayalam journalist D Vijayamohan on December 15 last year.

The coronavirus pandemic has claimed over 735 journalists in 63 countries between March and December 2020.

"Of the 735 journalists who have died from Covid-19 since 1 March last year, Latin America leads with 375 victims. Asia follows with 148 dead, ahead of  Europe (137), North America (39) and Africa (36)," said Blaise Lempen, secretary-general of  PEC .

He also added the largest increases in the number of media victims during January were recorded in Brazil and Mexico.

Meanwhile, Peru remains the country with the heaviest death toll where  95 media workers had died from the virus infection aggravated ailments till the last month. Mexico is in second place with 84 victims, ahead of Brazil (77) and Italy (with 44 dead it emerges as the most bereaved European nation).

They are followed by Ecuador (42), the United States (38), Great Britain  (22), Turkey (21), Ukraine (14), Russia & Panama (12 each), Bolivia (11), Colombia (10), Spain (9), Dominican Republic (8), Nigeria (8), South Africa (7), Argentina (7), Honduras (7), Egypt, Nicaragua & Venezuela (6 each), France (5), Cameroon, Guatemala, Iran, El Salvador & Zimbabwe (3 each) etc.