In another heartbreaking incident, the four-year-old son of a migrant worker reportedly died after arriving at Muzaffarpur station by a Shramikspecial train as the father ran from pillar-to-post looking for milk.
Maqsood Alam alias Mohd Pintu, the bereaved father, worked as a housepainter until the coronavirus-induced lockdown rendered him jobless.?
The family had to leave their rented home in a Delhi slumand head home after selling off their meagre belongings.
"The child had fallen ill, apparently because of oppressiveheat. By the time our train reached Muzaffarpur junction his condition haddeteriorated considerably. I ran pillar to post searching for some milk for myson," PTI quoted Alam as saying.
The administration took too long to respond and the childlost the battle for life, alleged the father.?
"We saw the prospect of reaching home on Eid as a goodomen. Who knew that God had something else in store for us," said thegrief-stricken father, his wife still in a state of shock and unable to speak.
Deputy Superintendent of Police, Railway, Ramakant Upadhyay,however, claimed the boy was ailing for some time and had died before the trainreached Muzaffarpur station.
The family boarded a Danapur-bound train and the boy, whowas apparently in poor health for some time, fell seriously ill on board. FromDanapur they took one of the intra-state trains, headed for Sitamarhi, whichwas to make a stopover at Muzaffarpur junction.
Despite the government running so many special trains, hundredsof migrants have been suffering due to lack of adequate food and water andintense heat conditions.
In another disturbing incident, video footage of a toddler reportedly playing with a blanket placed on his dead mother, triggeredoutrage on social media.
According to reports, she died a few minutes before thetrain reached Muzaffarur junction around noon on Monday and her body wasbrought down by her relatives with the help of co-passengers.
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