Human rights commission sends notice to Maharashtra after 16 migrants killed in train accident

It was at 5.22 am that the approaching goods train ran over these labourers, the railways ministry said in a statement. The driver tried to stop the train but couldn’t do so in time, it added.

The National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the Maharashtra chief secretary and the Aurangabad district magistrate after a goods train ran over migrants sleeping on tracks killing 16.

Documents and photographs of the migrant workers who lost their lives on the railway track in a train accident in Aurangabad on Friday. At least 16 people died and several injured in the accident. (ANI)

According to railways, the workers left Jalna in Madhya Pradesh at 7 pm on Thursday and initially walked on road and later onto the track towards Aurangabad. After walking for about 36 kilometres, these workers started feeling tired and sat on the track between Karnad and Badnapur railway stations for taking some rest. They gradually went into deep sleep.

It was at 5.22 am that the approaching goods train ran over these labourers, the railways ministry said in a statement. The driver tried to stop the train but couldn’t do so in time, it added.

An inquiry has been ordered into the incident by the railway authorities.

The railway safety watchdog has written to the ministry saying that the labourers who were crushed by the goods train were lying on the railway tracks as they were under the impression that no trains have been plying since the lockdown.

“Apparently, the affected persons had gathered along the track under the impression that the train services have been suspended due to Covid-19 lockdown. Furthermore, false sense of security may have come to their minds about there being no trains on run whereas freight, parcel specials have been running from before and now migrant specials have also started plying,” he wrote.