Migrant workers carry luggage as they leave for their hometown during the coronavirus lockdown from Bangalore, India, May 16, 2020.Photo:Xinhua

The number of migrant laborers who died in accidents while heading home during the current COVID-19 lockdown has risen to 59 over the past nine days, after 24 more died in a road mishap in northern state of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.

The road mishap occurred in the state's Auraiya district when two trucks carrying migrant laborers collided with each other. While one truck, carrying around 20 migrant laborers, was parked by the road side, another truck carrying around 50 migrant laborers rammed into it from behind.

While 24 died on the spot, around 35 were admitted to various hospitals. Fifteen of the injured are said to be serious, a local senior cop Surendranath Yadav told Xinhua over phone.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives due to the road accident. "The road accident in Auraiya, Uttar Pradesh, is very sad. State government is involved in rescue work. I express my condolences to the family members of the dead, and wish speedy recovery of the injured," tweeted Modi.

State Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced a monetary compensation of 200,000 Indian Rupees (around 2667 U.S. dollars) to the families of those who died and 50,000 Indian Rupees (around 667 U.S. dollars) for the injured.

He also suspended two senior cops for dereliction of duty.

According to media reports, all the deceased and victims were migrant laborers who were riding one of the trucks and going to their respective homes in eastern states of Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal amid the ongoing lockdown imposed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic spread. Most of them were coming from western state of Rajasthan.

They had boarded the ill-fated trucks, as all regular transport like buses and trains have been suspended during the current lockdown.

"Twenty-four dead bodies have been recovered from the spot, and more than 35 injured have been admitted in various hospitals," confirmed a senior district administration official to Xinhua over phone.

Confirming the mishap, a senior police official said that rescue work was still going on, and all senior administration and police officials had rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation.

On Wednesday, as many as 14 migrant laborers died and more than 50 injured in two separate road mishaps. In the first accident, at least 8 persons died and 48 injured when the truck they were travelling in collided with a bus in central state of Madhya Pradesh. In a second mishap on the same day, as many as 6 migrant laborers died and 4 others injured when a speeding bus mowed them down in northern state of Uttar Pradesh. The mishap occurred in the state's Muzaffarnagar district.

On May 8, as many as 16 migrant laborers had died and 4 others injured in south-western state of Maharashtra when an oil train-tanker moved over them while they were sleeping over the railway tracks. Hailing from Madhya Pradesh, they were on their way home and walking down the railway tracks. They decided to sleep when they got exhausted, thinking trains were not allowed to run during the lockdown.

Two days later on May 10, at least five migrant laborers had died and over 10 injured in Madhya Pradesh when the truck they were travelling in overturned. The mishap had occurred near Narsinghpur city in the state on National Highway No. 44.