In a heart-wrenching road accident, 15 Rajasthan labourers sleeping on a sidewalk were killed after a truck ran over them in Gujarat’s Surat late on Monday.
The accident took place early this morning near Kosamba village, around 60 km from Surat, according to the police.
A dumper truck ran over the sleeping labourers killing 14 of them on the spot. One person died in the hospital. Several others who are injured have been hospitalised.
As per initial details, the truck first collided with a sugarcane-loaded tractor after which the driver lost control of the vehicle, thus running over the migrant labourers sleeping on the pavement.
PM condoles loss of lives
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives on Twitter.
“The loss of lives due to a truck accident in Surat is tragic. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. Praying that the injured recover at the earliest,” he wrote.
Ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each (from PMNRF) will be given to the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to the accident in Surat, and ₹50,000 each would be given to those injured.
The Gujarat government has also announced ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased, and ₹50,000 each to those injured.
Mohammed Iqbal reports from Jaipur:
The Rajasthan government on Tuesday announced financial assistance of ₹2 lakh each from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to the next of kin of the migrant labourers from Banswara district of the State killed in the accident. Those injured will get ₹50,000 each.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot expressed his condolences over the deaths and prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured. “The tragedy in Surat is heart wrenching. [I am] deeply saddened to know that the labourers from Banswara have lost their lives after a truck ran over them as they were sleeping near the road,” Mr. Gehlot tweeted.
The victims of the accident hailed from four villages of Kushalgarh block in Banswara district, bordering Gujarat. Six of the deceased labourers were stated to be members of a single family.
