At least nine migrant workers were killed on Tuesday after the truck carrying them from Kolkata overturned in an attempt to avoid hitting a bus in Naugachhia, near Bhagalpur.
The workers had boarded the truck along with their bicycles and are said to be labourers working in Kolkata. They had left six days ago due to the prolonged lockdown.
The drive and cleaner of the truck fled after the accident. The truck had entered Katihar district in Bihar from West Bengal and was crossing Bhagalpur to reach East & West Champaran district, from where the migrant workers hailed.
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A police official said the identities of the migrant workers had been ascertained. “The migrant workers had boarded the truck that was loaded with iron rods… police have also recovered a few bicycles that were on the truck”, the official said.
A few others were injured in the accident, he added.
Meanwhile, in another incident, a migrant worker was run over by a freight train early on Tuesday morning in Gopalganj district
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On Monday, six migrant labourers were killed in different road accidents in Bihar.