Auraiya UP Accident: 24 migrant labourers dead, 22 injured after two trucks collide; workers were travelling to Bihar, Jharkhand, Bengal

Twenty-four migrant labourers were killed after a truck they were travelling in collided with another truck in Uttar Pradesh’s Auraiya, according to several media reports.

The incident, which occurred at 3.30 am, saw 22 more hurt, of which 15 were critically injured.

A truck carrying migrants collied with a lorry in UP's Auraiiya. ANI

Auraiya DM Abhishek Singh told ANI that most of these workers were travelling from Rajasthan to Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand.

"The vehicle carrying about 40 men, women and children struck another truck also carrying labourers and their families that was parked at a roadside cafe in Auraiya district," AFP quoted Singh as saying in a tweet.

The injured were taken to a district hospital and were referred to Saifai PGI for further treatment, reports said.

"Honourable chief minister has taken note of the unfortunate incident in Auraiya. He has expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the labourers who lost their lives. He has also directed that all the injured be provided medial care immediately and the Commissioner and IG Kanpur to visit the site and give the report on the cause of the accident immediately," a statement from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's office read, as reported by NDTV.

Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat also condoled the deaths of the migrants.

उत्तर प्रदेश के औरैया में भीषण सड़क हादसे में 24 मज़दूरों की मृत्यु का समाचार दुःखद है। इस आपदा के समय में ऐसी दुर्घटनाओं से मन व्यथित हो उठा है।

ईश्वर से सभी देशवासियों के सुरक्षित जीवन की प्रार्थना करता हूं। प्रभु दिवंगत आत्माओं को अपने श्री चरणों में स्थान दे।
ॐ शांति।

— Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (@gssjodhpur) May 16, 2020

A spate of accidents involving migrant workers travelling home due to the coronavirus lockdown have been reported in recent weeks.

On 14 May, eight migrant labourers travelling from Maharashtra to Uttar Pradesh were killed after the container  truck they were travelling in collided with a bus in Madhya Pradesh’s Guna.

On 9 May, five workers travelling home by truck were killed in an accident in Madhya Pradesh’s Narsinghpur district.

On 8 May, 16 workers sleeping on tracks were run over by a goods train in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad district.

Special Shramik trains are being run to facilitate the return of migrant workers to their native states.

With inputs from agencies