At least 16 migrant workers sleeping on rail tracks were crushed to death by a goods train in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra

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.

File PhotoTwo 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 were returning to their home state Madhya Pradesh, an official at the Karmad police station said.

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.

PhotoSixteen 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.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish over the death of 16 migrant workers in the train accident.

Narendra Modi

He said all possible assistance is being providedIn 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.