Indian police fired tear gas at approximately 500 workers in the western city of Surat after stating that they could not return home despite losing their jobs.
According to Vidhi Chaudhari;
“The police tried to convince them that it is not possible since buses or trains are not available...However, the workers refused to budge, and started pelting stones at police,”
In response to a conflict between the jobless workers and police, 93 were arrested for violating curfew orders. The coronavirus has infected 1,071 separate cases and 29 people have died as a result.
Health officials are warning that a mass exodus to the countryside caused by large-scale lay offs would risk further spreading the virus and compounding the issue.
Read more from Reuters here.
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