As many as 24 labourers died and more than 36 critically injured after the truck they were travelling in, collided with a lorry in UP’s Auraiya district. The incident occurred around 3.30 am early on Saturday morning about 200 km away 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 while trying to return home, triggering an outpouring of nationwide condolences.
A trailer truck carrying around 50 migrant labourers was coming from Rajasthan and it collided with another truck. Both the vehicles turned upside down after losing control and the labourers were thrown off the vehicle due to the impact of the collision. All the labourers were mostly from Bihar, Rajasthan and West Bengal.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased.The chief minister, in a statement released by the state government, directed the divisional commissioner and IG Kanpur to visit the site and give a report on the cause of the accident immediately.
“UP 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 medical care and the Divisional Commissioner and IG Kanpur to visit the site and give the report on the cause of the accident immediately,” the statement said.
