The Yogi government faced heavy criticism after several reports claimed that the migrant workers who were injured during the truck collision in Uttar Pradesh’s Auriya on Saturday, were being sent home on trucks which also carried corpses of those killed in the accident.
According to reports, one of the survivors recorded and posted a video on social media sites showing victims being ferried through the same vehicle that carried the dead bodies of the migrants wrapped in black polythene.
Image Credits: Patrika
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren slammed the Uttar Pradesh Government saying that it was ‘shameful’ that the state government could not even arrange for ambulances for the deceased.
This inhumane treatment of our migrant workers could possibly be avoided. I request .@UPGovt & Office of .@NitishKumar ‘ji to arrange suitable transportation of the deceased bodies till Jharkhand border & we will ensure adequate dignified arrangements to their homes in Bokaro. https://t.co/uJL922LElP
— Hemant Soren (घर में रहें – सुरक्षित रहें) (@HemantSorenJMM) May 17, 2020
Faced with backlash, the UP government reportedly transferred the dead bodies midway, into ambulances at Prayagraj, which is about 300 km from Auraiya, on late Sunday night.
After @HemantSorenJMM Jharkhand govt registered a protest, dead bodies of #AuraiyaAccident victims were moved into ambulances last night. @pranshumisraa reports. Bodies were earlier being sent in trucks along with survivors. Unimaginable. pic.twitter.com/XH5ogIwbOM
— Zeba Warsi (@Zebaism) May 18, 2020
”The dead bodies were not kept on ice…they were just wrapped…it was difficult to drive owing to the foul stench emanating from the dead bodies,” said the driver of one of the trucks, reported The Deccan Herald.
The Times of India reported that Abhishek Singh, District Magistrate, Auraiya has ordered an enquiry.
‘As maximum causalities were from Jharkhand, we had instructed officials to make proper arrangements for dispatching the bodies of the deceased migrant workers to their native places. I have ordered a probe. Besides, RTO officials would also be questioned as to how the injured were made to travel with dead bodies in truck,’ said Singh.
On Saturday, May 16, 27 migrant workers which included 12 from Jharkhand were killed in a road accident when the truck they were travelling in rammed with another vehicle in Auraiya district of Uttar Pradesh.
#NewsAlert – Bodies of Auriya road mishap victims stuffed in bags and piled onto trucks. DM Auriya says probe has been ordered and action will be taken against the guilty. | @pranshumisraa with details & Congress spokesperson @AkhileshPSingh with his views. pic.twitter.com/ay9ohljtMk
— CNNNews18 (@CNNnews18) May 18, 2020
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