Shramik Express: Migrant workers pull chain to escape quarantine

Amid high and tense global health crisis, a shocking incident took place in India as over 50 migrant labourers tried to escape from a ‘Shramik Special’ train in order to avoid 28-day quarantine. The migrant workers have pulled the emergency chain near Hajipur in Bihar and got down.\

Coming from Maharastra, the Shramik Express was on its way to Bihar’s Bhagalpur. But, shockingly, the migrants stopped the train midway and escaped from there, leaving everyone at risk. It is said that the district administration had no idea about the incident but, the District Magistrate of Vaishali, Udita Singh assured she would soon enquire and catch all those who have escaped, followed by taking them to quarantine centres.

As we recall, after the Ministry of Home Affairs gave permission for the Indian Railways, they have been running “Shramik special” trains for stranded like migrants labourers, workers, students, tourists to return to their native towns. And, so far more than 2 lakh migrants have returned to the state with the help of Shramik Special trains.

Last week also, a similar incident took place with more than 20 migrant workers, who were returning to Odisha on a Shramik Special train from Ahmedabad got down by pulling the chain just hours before they were to be quarantined.