>Johndavies837 at 11:26, 27 April 2021

2021-04-27T11:26:21Z

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{{short description|Railway accident in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox public transit accident
| name = Aurangabad railway accident

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| coordinates = {{coord|19|52|33|N|75|33|30|E|display=inline,title}}

| date = 8 May 2020
| time = 05:15 - 06:30 hours ([[UTC+05:30]])<ref name = "DC">{{cite news |date= 9 May 2020 |title= Migrant workers crushed to death by goods train in Aurangabad |url= https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/080520/migrant-workers-crushed-to-death-by-goods-train-in-aurangabad.html |work= Deccan Chronicle |location= Aurangabad |access-date= 9 May 2020 }}</ref><ref name = "OneIndia"/>
| location =
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| location_city = [[Aurangabad]]
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| country = [[India]]
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| operator = [[Indian Railways]]
| owner = Indian Railways
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| cause = Death by impact

| bus =
| trains = 1
| vehicles =
| passengers =
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| pedestrians = 17
| deaths = 16
| injuries = 1
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On the morning of 8 May 2020, an empty goods train ran over and killed sixteen [[migrant workers]] sleeping on or by the tracks near [[Aurangabad]], [[Maharashtra]], India. One additional worker sleeping nearby was injured.

==Background==
The Indian [[Government of India|government]] announced a [[2020 coronavirus lockdown in India|nationwide lockdown]] on 24 March to control the [[COVID-19 pandemic in India]]. This caused job losses for migrant workers in multiple cities, many of whom have no formal contracts. The government stopped train services, making it difficult for these labourers to travel home. Consequently, many of them had to walk home.<ref>{{cite news |first=Ismat |last=Ara |date=29 March 2020 |url=https://thewire.in/labour/watch-no-work-no-money-thousands-stranded-on-anand-vihar-bus-stand |title='No Work, No Money': Thousands Stranded on Anand Vihar Bus Stand |work=The Wire }}</ref>

==Accident==
A group of 20 labourers were walking from steel factories in [[Jalna, Maharashtra]], to Bhusawal so that they could board a "Shramik Special" train to reach their homes in Umariya and Shahdol districts of [[Madhya Pradesh]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-lockdown-maharashtra-aurangabad-migrant-workers-killed-train-6399556/ |title=Aurangabad Train Accident live maharashtra migrant labourers killed |publisher=Indianexpress.com |date=2020-05-08 |access-date=2020-05-13}}</ref> After walking {{convert|40|km}} along a minor road, they reached the railway tracks at Badnapur at about 0330 hours on 8 May 2020. Exhausted, they slept on and near the tracks, believing that no trains were running due to the lockdown.<ref name = "IE">{{cite news |last= Siddique |first= Iram |date= 8 May 2020 |title= Aurangabad train accident: They thought no trains were running, loco driver spotted them too late to stop |url= https://indianexpress.com/article/india/maharashtra-they-thought-no-trains-were-running-loco-driver-spotted-them-too-late-to-stop-6400947/ |work= The Indian Express |location= Aurangabad |access-date= 9 May 2020 }}</ref>

An empty goods train from [[Cherlapally]] in [[Hyderabad]] was heading towards Paniwada in [[Maharashtra]]. The locomotive driver realised that people were laying on the tracks only {{convert|160|m}} away from them. The train was moving at {{convert|70|kph}}, and despite applying the emergency brakes, it was unable to stop before hitting the workers. The fourteen sleeping on the tracks were killed instantly, while three nearby were injured, two of whom later died in hospital.<ref name = "IE"/> Just four from the group of twenty survived, three of whom were sleeping away from the tracks.<ref name="NDTV"/>

==Aftermath==
Indian Railways ordered an inquiry to be headed by the Commissioner of Railway Safety.<ref name = "IE"/> The Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh state governments announced {{INRConvert|5|l|-2|lk=on|to=USD EUR|year=2020}} as compensation for the relatives of the deceased victims.<ref name = "Telegraph">{{cite news |date= 9 May 2020 |title= Not an accident, by any stretch |url= https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/coronavirus-lockdown-goods-train-kills-16-fatigued-migrants/cid/1771560 |work= The Telegraph |location= New Delhi |access-date= 9 May 2020 }}</ref>

The bodies of the sixteen migrant labourers were moved to [[Jabalpur]] by two bogies attached to a special train.<ref name="NDTV">{{cite news |title=Aurangabad Train Accident: Bodies Of Migrants Being Taken Home |url=https://www.ndtv.com/aurangabad-news/maharashtra-aurangabad-train-accident-bodies-of-migrants-being-taken-home-2226134 |work=NDTV}}</ref>

==Reactions==
Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] expressed anguish and offered "all possible assistance". Former [[President of the Indian National Congress]] [[Rahul Gandhi]] asked why migrants were still walking home and stated that “we should be ashamed of treating the nation-builders like this”.<ref name = "Telegraph"/>

[[CPI-M]] General Secretary [[Sitaram Yechury]] tweeted, “the death of these poor labourers is solely due to the sudden announcement of a lockdown and denial of transport to them for weeks, while not providing a substantive relief package”. He described the Central government's actions towards migrant workers as "criminal".<ref name = "OneIndia">{{cite news |date= 9 May 2020 |title= കുടിയേറ്റ തൊഴിലാളികളുടെ മരണത്തിന് ഉത്തരവാദിത്തം കേന്ദ്രത്തിന്; അവര്‍ക്ക് യാത്ര പോലും നിഷേധിച്ചു |url= https://malayalam.oneindia.com/news/india/sitaram-yechury-slams-centre-for-aurangabad-train-accident-247773.html |work= One India |access-date= 9 May 2020 }}</ref><ref name = "Telegraph"/> [[Communist Party of India|CPI]] General Secretary [[D Raja]] said that "migrant workers are being treated in a most inhumane manner by the government". Terming the deaths a 'deliberate killing', he accused the government of having "practically left them to fend for themselves without any aid or help”.<ref name = "Hindu">{{cite news |date= 8 May 2020 |title= Opposition slams Centre for Aurangabad migrant workers deaths |url= https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/opposition-slams-centre-for-aurangabad-migrant-workers-deaths/article31537451.ece |work= The Hindu |access-date= 9 May 2020 }}</ref>

Former Finance Minister and [[Indian National Congress]] member [[P. Chidambaram]] accused the Central and State governments of being oblivious of the fact that thousands of migrant workers were still walking back to their home states.<ref name = "Hindu"/> [[Shiv Sena]] minister Sandipan Bhumre and MLA [[Ambadas Danve]] met the survivor in hospital.<ref name = "Telegraph"/>

==See also==
* [[List of Indian rail accidents]]
* [[Lists of rail accidents]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{2020 railway accidents}}
{{Disasters in India in 2020}}

[[Category:2020 disasters in India]]
[[Category:2020s in Maharashtra]]
[[Category:History of Aurangabad, Maharashtra]]
[[Category:May 2020 events in India]]
[[Category:Railway accidents and incidents in Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Railway accidents in 2020]]

Aurangabad railway accident - Revision history

>Johndavies837 at 11:26, 27 April 2021