Published 16:26 IST, May 19th 2020
Massive crowd outside Mumbai's Bandra railway station as migrants try to board train
In a massive health-scare, thousands of migrants gathered at the Bandra railway station in Mumbai attempting to board the Shramik special train to Bihar.
In a massive health-scare, thousands of migrants gathered at the Bandra railway station in Mumbai on Tuesday attempting to board the Shramik special train to Bihar amid the COVID-19 lockdown. A Shramik special train was to run from Bandra Terminus to Purnia at 12 pm in the afternoon, with migrants who had registered themselves beforehand, however, the situation went out of control after a huge crowd began to gather at the terminus in anticipation of boarding the train. This incident comes a day after Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray revealed that over five lakh migrants had been safely sent back to their native states by trains and buses.
"Today, a Shramik special train was scheduled for Purnia from Bandra Terminus for which passengers, registered with state authorities were to travel. But many people who were not registered and not called by state authorities gathered on bridge and road near the station," said Ravinder Bhakar, Western Railway CPRO.
"Bonafide passengers were checked and allowed to enter the station by state machinery and the train left Bandra Terminus at about 12 hrs with 1700 labourers and their families who were entitled to travel. Later, the crowd was cleared from the area by City Police," he added.
BJP questions Maharashtra Govt
Hitting out at the Maharashtra government for failing to control the situation and the gathering crowds, BJP National Spokesperson Sambit Patra called out the Maha Vikas Aghadi Government for their 'lack of coordination' slamming them for being irresponsible' in handling the migrant crisis. "Hundreds and thousands of workers have gathered in Bandra, Mumbai. News channels are showing. There is a lot of chaos. The Maharashtra government is in pieces. There is a huge lack of coordination.
As it is, the condition of Mumbai is not good, and now carelessness over it!" he tweeted.
Mumbai on Monday reported 1,185 fresh COVID-19 cases and 23 more deaths, taking the total case count to 21,152 and the fatalities to 757, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.
Updated 16:26 IST, May 19th 2020