6 migrant workers walking from Punjab to Bihar mowed down by bus in Muzaffarnagar

Six migrant workers, who were walking to their homes in Bihar from Punjab, were killed and four seriously injured when a Uttar Pradesh government bus hit them on the Delhi-Saharanpur Highway in Muzaffarnagar, officials said Thursday.

The incident took place around 10.30 pm Wednesday between Ghalauli check-post and Rohana Toll Plaza, about 20 kms from here, Senior Superintendent of Police Abhishek Yadav said.

Bus driver Rajbir Singh has been arrested along with his associates Satish Chandra and Anil Sharma, police said.

The medical examination of the driver confirmed that he was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident, Station House Officer Anil Kapervan said.

The Uttar Pradesh roadways bus was returning to Agra from Saharanpur after dropping off migrant labourers to their homes.

A government official in Lucknow said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the incident and announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the seriously injured.

The deceased migrants were identified as 18-year-old Guddu from Bhojpur and Virender Singh (28) from Patna. The four others -- Harek Singh (52), his son Vikas (22); Vasudev (22), Harish Sahni (42) -- were all from Gopalganj, police said.

The injured were taken to a hospital, they said.

Later in the day, the six bodies were sent to their homes in Bihar in two ambulances, after post-mortem, escorted by a police van, Additional District Magistrate Alok Kumar told PTI.

Saharanpur Divisional Commissioner Sanjay Kumar also visited the spot to conduct an inquiry in the incident. An FIR has also been registered.

The chief minister has asked the Sahranpur Commissioner to conduct an inquiry and fix responsibility, a government spokesman said.

The Divisional Commissioner has also directed district authorities to ensure migrants don't have to walk to their destinations.

The incident comes days after 16 migrant labourers who had fallen asleep on railway tracks were crushed to death by a goods train in Aurangabad in Maharashtra on May 8.