15 dead as truck runs over people sleeping on roadside in India
New Delhi, Jan 19 (efe-epa).- At least 15 people, most of them migrant workers, died on Tuesday when they were run over by a truck while sleeping on the roadside in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
The accident occurred in the early hours of the morning near the town of Kosamba, when the driver of a cargo truck ran over a makeshift shelter next to a road where some 20 people were sleeping.
Among the victims, 12 died on the spot and three others succumbed to their injuries while receiving medical care, Kosamba Police Station in-charge Bharat Patel told EFE.
Another four people were injured and have been hospitalized, added the officer.
According to preliminary investigations, the driver lost control of the truck when an object from another vehicle coming from the opposite side of the road hit his windshield, Patel explained.
Most of the victims were construction workers from other states of the country, who were sleeping there with their families.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the “tragic” accident and announced a compensation of 200,000 rupees (about $2,700) for the family of each of the deceased, and 50,000 rupees (about $700) for those injured.
Road accidents in India are frequent due to poor road conditions, poor conditions of several vehicles and lack of respect for traffic regulations.
In 2019, a total of 151,113 people lost their lives and more than 451,000 were injured in some 449,000 road accidents in India, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. EFE-EPA
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