At least 18 migrant workers covering thousands of kilometres in a desperate attempt to reach home have been killed in separate road accidents in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra in the last 24 hours.
Four migrant labourers were killed and reportedly 15 others were injured in a road accident in Maharashtra’s Yavatmal in the wee hours on Tuesday.
According to reports, the bus was on the way from Maharashtra’s Solapur to Jharkhand crashed into a truck.
Deputy Superintendent of Police, Yavatmal, Udaysinh Chandel said, ‘All the migrants were to be taken to the Maharashtra border from where they were to head further to their respective states. Most of them belong to Chhatisgarh and Jharkhand,’ reported The Indian Express.
In a separate incident, at least nine workers lost their lives and several were left injured when the truck carrying them overturned in an attempt to avert a collision with a bus in Bihar’s Bhagalpur district, on Tuesday.
In Uttar Pradesh, five migrant workers were killed in two separate accidents on highways on Monday, May 18.
In the first incident, three women migrant workers were killed and at least 12 were injured when their truck overturned on a highway in Uttar Pradesh’s Mahoba district.
According to reports, the accident occurred because of a burst tyre on the Jhansi-Mirzapur highway.
Superintendent of Police Mani Lal Patida said, ‘The injured have been admitted to a government hospital,’ he added. ‘The truck has been seized and investigations are on,’ reported Zee News.
The second incident took place in Unnao where two migrants were killed and nearly 23 were injured when they were going to their native places in Azamgarh from Delhi in a truck. The mishap occurred on Agra-Lucknow Expressway.
The Union Home Ministry, in its order, has directed all the district administration and states to make sure that no migrant worker has to resort to walking on roads or railway track.
Reportedly, Bhalla has also asked the state authorities to make designated rest places along the route taken by the migrants to reach their homes. He has also asked the states to provide for the requirement of sanitation, food and health at these rest places.
In his letter to the Chief Secretaries, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla has also asked the states to coordinate with the railways’ ministry for running more special trains to ferry the migrants.
Proactive coord between States & @RailMinIndia reqd to run more trains; run more buses for smooth transport of #MigrantWorkers.Create rest places with food etc for people on foot, till they are guided to bus/rail stations.Dispel rumours, give clarity on train/bus departures:MHA pic.twitter.com/EUHZgU5egD
— Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) May 19, 2020
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