At least 18 migrant workers died after a truck crashed into their bus in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Their 1,300km-long (800 miles) journey from Haryana to their home state of Bihar was cut short when the bus broke down in Barabanki district. Some of the workers were still in the bus while others were sleeping next to it when the accident happened in the early hours of Wednesday.
According to the details, the accident was reported in the wee hours at the National Highway 28, where the double-decker bus was parked at the roadside following a breakdown. Eighteen labourers, who were sleeping on the roadside were killed due to the impact of the accident. More than 24 labourers have been reported injured. A team of police reached the spot as soon as they received information about the accident. At least 30 people, some of whom are critically injured, have been admitted to hospitals in Barabanki. The double-decker bus, en route to Bihar from Haryana, was parked on the side of the road at the time of the accident with passengers inside it. The bus driver had asked passengers to rest while he was repairing the bus. Soon after, a truck collided into the parked bus resulting in many casualties. People from Bihar often go to more prosperous states like Haryana and Delhi to find work. Migrant workers often use trains and buses, a cheap mode of transport in India, to go home when they get a break from work.
