Shivraj Singh Chouhan announces Rs 5 lakh aid for kin of deceased labourers

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday condoled the death of 14 migrant workers from the state in a train accident in Maharashtra and announced a financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to their families. At least 14 migrant labourers from Madhya Pradesh, who were sleeping on rail tracks, were mowed down by a goods train near Karmad station in Aurangabad district in Maharashtra in the early hours of Friday. Two other labourers were injured in the accident.

"I have spoken to Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and demanded a probe into the accident besides aid to their families," Chouhan said and announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased labourers.

A team of officials will be dispatched to Aurangabad to take care of the injured migrants and make necessary arrangements for their treatment, he said.

"I am also in touch with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to get updates about the treatment and other arrangement being made for them," he said.

The migrant workers were walking along the rail tracks to reach Bhusawal from Jalna, 40km from Karmad, on way to their villages in Madhya Pradesh. They slept off on the tracks due to exhaustion, an official said.