Stranded Migrants Set Vehicles On Fire In Gujarat

Migrant workers, who work in textile looms, rest inside a room after their looms were shut due to the 21-day nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease, in Bhiwandi on the outskirts of Mumbai on April 1, 2020

Hundreds of migrant workers, stuck in Surat amid the lockdown went on a rampage on Friday night, setting many vehicles on fire, police said.

They are demanding that necessary arrangements be made for them to return to their native places and are also seeking quick disbursal of unpaid dues, an official said.

Several migrant workers took to the streets and set ablaze handcarts demanding that they be allowed to return to their native states, police said.

While the situation has been brought under control, police have also detained several migrant workers for engaging in violent protest, the official said.

Workers, who have lost their jobs due to the lockdown are demanding that they should be allowed to return to their villages, he said.

The arson took place on a day when the number of coronavirus cases in Gujarat rose to 378 after 116 new cases were reported since Thursday night, a senior health official said. The increase in cases during 24 hours is the highest so far, he added.

With two more deaths reported during this period, the death toll due to coronavirus has reached 19 in the state, he said.