Aurangabad: At least 16 migrant workers sleeping on rail tracks were crushed to death by a goods train in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra on Friday morning, police said.
Two other labourers were injured in the accident which took place at 5.15 am under the Karmad Police station jurisdiction, an official said.
The workers, who were walking to Bhusawal from Jalna in central Maharashtra along rail tracks, were returning to their home state Madhya Pradesh, an official at the Karmad police station told PTI.
They were sleeping on rail tracks due to exhaustion when they were run over by the goods train coming from Jalna, around 40km from Karmad, he said.
“The labourers, working in a steel factory in Jalna, left for their home state on foot last night. They came till Karmad and slept off on the tracks as they were tired,” police officer Santosh Khetmalas said.
Fourteen workers lost their lives in the accident, while two others were injured, he said, adding three labourers who were also part of the group survived as they were sleeping some distance away from the rail tracks.
The injured are undergoing treatment, Khetmalas said.
The migrant workers, rendered jobless due to the coronavirus-enforced lockdown and desperate to go to their native places, were walking along the rail tracks apparently to escape police attention.
A video clip from the scene of the tragedy shows the bodies of migrant workers lying on the tracks and nearby with their meagre personal belongings scattered around.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish over the death of 16 migrant workers in the train accident.
He said all possible assistance is being provided.
Extremely anguished by the loss of lives due to the rail accident in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. Have spoken to Railway Minister Shri Piyush Goyal and he is closely monitoring the situation. All possible assistance required is being provided.
Extremely anguished by the loss of lives due to the rail accident in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. Have spoken to Railway Minister Shri Piyush Goyal and he is closely monitoring the situation. All possible assistance required is being provided.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 8, 2020
In a tweet, the prime minister said, “Extremely anguished by the loss of lives due to the rail accident in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. Have spoken to Railway Minister Shri Piyush Goyal and he is closely monitoring the situation”.
Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh governments announced financial aid of Rs 10 lakh – Rs 5 lakh each – to families of the deceased.
Also read: Don’t blame Covid or financial package. Politics is holding India’s migrant workers hostage
This is absolute foolishness of anybody who is sleeping on tracks. This is suicide or may be something else. If they want to sleep, they could have sleep any other place which is not dangerous and not harmful to self as well as others.
Giving package to these people is waste of money of hard earned Tax Payers.
After such package given by Govt. Of India, they are encouraging to sleep on track to get such death royalty.
This accident must be treated/called as a great hilarious/laughter.
Absolute idiocy and recklessness on their part and they alone are 100% responsible for their, of course very tragic, deaths. There was ample place in between the two rail lines [to and fro double line I mean] as also beside the rail bund too and they could have slept there if too tired. It is just like any accident due to human recklessness and railways or their personnel or governments share no blame.
Possible mass suicide out of desperation, more likely
What is with people, which makes them sleep on tracks? Walking is OK, but sleeping? Am anguished at this tragic incident, but guys can someone explain this?
It is my suggestion that all locomotives being used during this period be fitted with one or two extra powerful lights (lamps) and either an extra hooter or a piercing siren to warn both people and animals near or on the tracks about the oncoming train. Loco drivers with perfect 6/6 vision in both eyes only should be on duty with a supernumerary driver in perfect health in the co-drivers seat also on the alert look-out. The incident in Amritsar during Dusshera may have a contributing factor of the locomotives’ main lamp not working properly. Besides, it doesn’t harm to use the hooter when approaching a bend. Standard Operating Procedures can be revised to include avoidance of such eventualities.