Twenty-four migrants were killed and more than 30 were injured when the trucks they were travelling in collided at around 3 am in Uttar Pradesh’s Auraiya district, about 200 km from the state’s capital Lucknow. This is the latest incident where stranded migrant workers – left jobless due to the coronavirus lockdown – have been killed in an accident, triggering an outpour of condolences nationwide.
Desperate to reach their villages, separate groups of migrants had hitched ride on two trucks from Rajasthan and Delhi; they were headed to Bihar, Jharkhand, UP and West Bengal, according to the officials. One of the trucks was loaded with goods and labourers were sitting on the sacks when they were thrown off the vehicle due to the impact of the collision.
“Some people had got down from one of the trucks that stopped at a dhaba to have tea. That was when the collision happened and labourers who were sitting on the sacks were thrown off. We are still trying figure out why so many people were packed in those vehicles coming from Delhi and Rajasthan. Those injured have been admitted to hospitals,” senior police officer Jai Narayan Singh said.
Distressing visuals of chaos from the accident site show injured labourers getting help from locals and policemen after the accident. A large number of policemen can be seen carrying out rescue operations.
In a tweet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the incident is “extemely tragic”. “The road accident in Uttar Pradesh’s Auraiya is extremely tragic. The government is involved in the relief work. I express my condolences to the families of those killed in this accident, as well as wish the injured a speedy recovery,” PM Modi tweeted in Hindi this morning.
“The death of migrant workers in a road accident in Auraiya district is unfortunate and sad. My condolences to the bereaved families. Instructions have been given to ensure relief and medical treatment for those injured. A probe has also been ordered,” Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath tweeted in Hindi this morning.
A probe has been ordered into the Auraiya incident and a compensation of Rs 2 lakh has been announced for the families of those who died and Rs 50,000 for those injured. Two police officers have been suspended and both the trucks have been seized; cases have been filed against the truck drivers.
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