Fifteen migrant labourers sleeping by the roadside in Gujarat’s Surat district were killed today after being crushed under a speeding truck. The incident took place early this morning near Kosamba village, around 60 km from Surat, police said. A dumper truck ran over the sleeping labourers on the Kim-Mandvi road killing 12 on the spot. The truck driver apparently lost control of the vehicle after it hit sugarcane hanging out of the tractor-trolley coming from the opposite direction.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the accident ‘tragic’ and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the families of victims. “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…ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to the accident in Surat. Rs. 50,000 each would be given to those injured,” the Prime Minister announced on Twitter.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani also announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakhs each to the next of the kin of those who lost their lives in the accident in Surat.
During the time of the incident, the labourers were sleeping on a footpath. The tragedy took place early in the morning near Kosamba village, around 60 km from Surat, police said, adding that all those killed hailed from Rajasthan.