Odisha: Bus carrying migrants from Surat overturns at Kalinga Ghat; 1 dead, 40 rescued

In a tragic development, a bus carrying stranded migrants from Surat in Gujarat to Berhampur in Odisha on Saturday, overturned near Odisha's Kalinga Ghat. Southern Range DIG Satyabrata Bhoi has informed that one person has died and one has suffered injuries. 40 people have been rescued.

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Migrants-carrying bus overturns

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MHA allows movement of migrants

On Friday, amending its order to allow movement of stranded migrants, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons across India, the Ministry of Home Affairs has allowed special trains to be operated by the Ministry of Railways (MOR).  MOR has designated nodal officer(s) for coordinating with State/ UTs for their movement for these point-to-point  'Shramik' express trains. Seven trains were flagged on Friday transporting migrants from Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Kerala to Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Odisha. 

The railways clarified that normal train travel is still prohibited. It added that these special trains will only carry those migrants cleared by state authorities and that the functioning of these trains were as per state governments' needs. The Centre is charging Rs 30 per head and an additional Rs 20 for each ticket to board the 'Shramik' trains. Initially, only buses were allowed to be used for the transportation of the persons who will be allowed to proceed only after being medically screened and undergoing 14-day quarantine in institutional facilities or home-quarantine. 

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Stranded migrants issue

After PM Modi had announced the first phase of lockdown, on March 28, thousands of migrant workers were seen thronging the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border at Delhi's Anand Vihar Interstate Bus Terminal in the hope of reaching their homes, defying lockdown and creating a health hazard. Similarly, after PM Modi announced the extension of the lockdown till May 3, on April 14, around 2,000 migrant workers gathered at Bandra station, under the illusion of boarding 'Jansdharan Express' trains to UP, Bengal and Bihar. Apart from this several visuals have been seen of thousands of migrants walking across state borders to reach their native homes due to loss of income amid lockdown.

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