NEW DELHI — At least 16 migrant laborers, who were sleeping on rail tracks on their way back home were crushed to death on Friday after a freight train ran over them in the western Indian state of Maharashtra.

An investigation into the accident, which took place near Aurangabad district, nearly 260 km from Pune, has been ordered.

According to local police authorities, one other was seriously injured while three more escaped in the gruesome accident.

Railway officials say the workers walked on the road toward Aurangabad, and later on railway tracks leading to Aurangabad.

After walking for 36 km, they were exhausted and decided to rest. According to local reports, the workers assumed that trains would not be running because of the lockdown, and therefore slept on the tracks. Images on social media show pieces of roti (Indian bread) strewn near the tracks.

Tens of thousands of people have been walking home from India's big cities after being laid off because of the lockdown to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus since late March.

Under the lockdown, all public transport has been suspended so migrant workers heading home often have to walk long distances to get there.

With the easing of restrictions earlier this month, the government announced that migrants would be able to return to their home states on special trains and buses.

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi said he was "extremely anguished by the loss of lives due to the fatal accident in Aurangabad, Maharashtra". — Agencies