LUCKNOW, India — At least 24 migrant workers were killed and 37 injured early Saturday when a truck they were traveling in crashed into a stationary truck on a highway in northern India, an official said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences over the incident and said the government is engaged in providing relief to the kin of the deceased.

Magistrate Abhishek Singh said another 37 people were injured in the latest accident near Auraiya, a village in Uttar Pradesh state. The cause of the crash is being investigated.

Auraiya Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Kamlesh Kumar Dixit said, “The accident happened between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. on Saturday under the Kotwali police station at a place called Mihauli. A trolley truck, which was coming from Rajasthan and loaded with white putti, had people who were headed to Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal.

“The truck was stationed at Mihauli at a dhaba (an eatery) where people were getting tea. A DCM truck, coming from Delhi with around 20 migrant workers aboard, hit the trolley after the driver possibly fell asleep on the wheel. Both vehicles overturned. Police reached the accident spot.”

“All the deceased died on the spot and 15 people are being treated in Auraiya district hospital,” added Dixit, according to Indian Express report.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the migrant laborers killed in the accident.

“Pained by the news of the death of 24 laborers and injuries to many people in the accident in Uttar Pradesh’s Auraiya. I express my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and wish speedy recovery for those injured,” Gandhi said in a tweet.

Meanwhile, BSP president Mayawati asked Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday to ensure that his directives on the safety of stranded labourers returning home were being implemented by the officials.

“It was only yesterday that I saw the Uttar Pradesh chief minister announcing on TV that all necessary arrangements for migrants are being made. But it seems that officials are not implementing those at ground level which led to a major accident in the state and this is most unfortunate,” Mayawati said in a statement.

Tens of thousands of migrant laborers have been returning from big cities to their villages after losing jobs because of a countrywide lockdown imposed in late March to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

The government has started a limited number of trains to facilitate their travel, but thousands are using trucks and buses or even riding bikes or walking long distances on the highways. — Agencies