16 Migrants Survivors Crushed to Death by Train in Aurangabad

Survivors of the Aurangabad train accident frantically raised alarm to alert their group members sleeping on tracks about a fast-approaching freight train, but it all went in vain as 16 of them were crushed to death at the crack of dawn on Friday.

Chilling details emerged about the tragedy involving a group of migrant workers who were on their way to native places in Madhya Pradesh on foot from Maharashtra and had taken a break to rest on rail tracks out of sheer fatigue.

The accident left 16 migrant workers dead and one injured while three others survived. All of them were working in a steel manufacturing in Jalna, a district adjoining Aurangabad in central Maharashtra, and were heading home in the amidst of coronavirus-enforced lockdown, officials said.

"A gathering of 20 abandoned workers began strolling from Jalna. They chose to take rest and a large portion of them lied on rail tracks. Three of them were taking rest in a close by plain zone. After some time, these three saw a products train coming and promptly raised the caution however it went unheard," Superintendent of Police Mokshada Patil told PTI. 

"I had a word with the survivors. They began strolling from Jalna and attempted to reach Bhusaval on prior night which is around 30-40 km away from the spot of the mishap (close Karmad close Aurangabad)," Patil said. 

"The three survivors, who were resting somewhat away, attempted to awaken the individuals dozing on the tracks by



quickly yelling, however that give useless as the train ran over them," the cop said. "This is a tragic episode. Out of the 20 individuals, 16 kicked the bucket, one is harmed and three are with us. A case will be enlisted at the Karmad police headquarters," she included. 

The survivors were distinguished as Inderlal Dhurve (20 area Mandla), Virendrasingh Gaur (27, region Umaria) and Shivman Singh Gaur (27, region Shahdol) and the harmed Sajjan Singh (occupant of Khajeri locale).

A video clip from the scene of the tragedy showed the mutilated bodies of migrant workers lying on the tracks and nearby with their meagre personal belongings scattered around. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader and state minister Sandipan Bhumre and Member of Legislative Assembly Ambadas Danve visited the Government Medical College and Hospital here and met the injured.

Danve said, "The state government is making efforts to send migrant workers to their home states. People should have patience."

The deceased included Dhansingh Gond, Nirlesh Singh Gond, Buddharaj Singh Gond, Rabendra Singh Gond, Rajbohram Paras Singh, Dharmendra Singh Gond, Shreedayal Singh Suresh Singh Kaul, Santosh Napit, Brijesh Bheyadin (all from Shahdol district), Bigendra Singh, Pradeep Singh Gond, Nemshah Singh, Munim Singh (all Umaria district).

One of the deceased was identified as Acchelal Singh, but his native district was not yet known, police officials said, adding another victim was yet to be identified.