Coronavirus: Poor Indian migrant couple cycling home, crushed to death on the way, two children survive
India: Twitter users continue to highlight the situation of poor workers left without food
After losing their jobs, amid India's COVID-19 lockdown, a poor migrant couple decided to cycle back from the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh to Chattisgarh. Tragically, their journey ended in death before they reached home, when they were run over, on the way.
On Friday, tweeps shared news reports about the couple Krishna and his wife Pramila, survived by two small children, below the age of five.
According to news reports, the Deputy Comissioner of Police (East) Soman Barma, said that the incident had took place on Wednesday night in Shaheed Path in Sushant Golf City Police Station area in Lucknow.
He said: "Krishna and his wife Pramila, from Chhattisgarh, died while their two children, three-year-old son Nikhil and four-year-old daughter Chandni, were injured."
Reportedly, the children have been admitted to Lohia Hospital in the city.
The couple were working as labourers in Lucknow, and were staying in a slum in the Jankipuram area. The family were left with no money amid the lockdown, due to which they decided to cycle their way back home.
According to reports, during their journey to Chattisgarh, Krishna’s bicycle was hit by an unknown vehicle. The police were informed of the incident by a passerby.
According to a tribuneindia.com article: "All four of them were rushed to a hospital where Pramila succumbed to her injuries."
Later, Krishna and his children were admitted to the Trauma Centre of King George's Medical University.
Krishna died there during treatment. The children are stated to be in a stable condition, the police said.
Upon receiving information about their deaths, the family members of the migrant couple reached Lucknow and performed the last rites.
The final ceremonies were performed after other migrants pooled in money and collected a sum of Rs15,000 (Dh728), as his brother didn’t have enough resources. Their bodies were cremated at Gulale Ghat on Thursday evening.
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Twitter users have been highlighting the plight of poor migrant workers in India, in the last month. Millions are left without money, food or medicines. Thousands have undertaken long journeys on foot, to go back to their villages. Many have died on the way.
Social media users have repeated asked the country's government, why the Prime Minister's fund was not being used to take care of these poor workers.
@KaziRahil8: "This incident happened due to unplanned lockdown, due to charging ticket fare from poor migrants workers, please answer PMO India and pls spend PMcares fund money on migration of this poor workers #Aurangabad."
Last week, after the condition of India’s poor migrant workers went viral on social media, the country’s Ministry of Home Affairs finally permitted interstate travel for migrants who were stranded in various parts of the country, without food or water, due to the Covid-19 lockdown. Trains and buses were arranged for their transportation, but, the tickets were chargeable.
The workers had, by then, either already started their journey, or did not have the money to pay for the tickets.
India's lockdown will continue through May 18.