Twenty-four migrants died in Aurraiyya district early on Saturday morning when a speeding truck rammed into the stationary mini truck in which they were travelling.
Casualty figures may rise further as the 15 critically injured migrants admitted to Safai’s Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Sciences Hospital are in a serious condition. The remaining 22 migrants had been admitted to the district hospital, said Aurraiya Chief Medical Officer Archana Srivastava.
CM Yogi Adityanath has announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to each of the deceased migrant and Rs 50,000 for those who have been injured. A state government spokesperson said the CM had directed that all the injured be provided free medical care.
The truck that rammed into the mini truck was carrying bags of lime. According to Aurraiya District Magistrate Abhishek Singh, the 81 migrants who were crammed into the mini-truck were being transported from Rajasthan and Haryana to villages in Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
The accident occurred under Kotwali police station on the Delhi-Kanpur national highway near Mihauli at 3.30 am. Some migrants had a miraculous escape as they had stopped the mini truck and got off to have tea at a roadside dhaba.
The impact of the accident was so severe that many died in their sleep.
