The Indian state of Delhi has stopped thousands of migrants at the border that were trying to return to their hometowns after being stranded during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered the district officials to stop migrants and their families from entering the state on foot after many migrants died trying to return to their homes on foot in March.

The order was preceded by the death of 26 migrants on Saturday (May 16) who were trying to return to their homes. They were killed when two trucks they were travelling in collided in Auraiya district.

This footage was filmed on May 17.

Thousands of migrant workers were stopped by police at several border districts in Uttar Pradesh from May 17th morning while trying to return to their hometowns and villages amid the lockdown. This comes a day after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered the district officials to stop migrants and their families - stranded due to coronavirus lockdown - from entering the state on foot, cycles or trucks, arrange food and shelter for them and provide buses for their journey.

This order was preceded by the death of 26 migrants on Saturday who were trying to return to their homes. They were killed when two trucks they were traveling in collided in Auraiya district, which is around 200 km from state capital Lucknow.

Thousands of migrants were stranded in March across the country without jobs after a nationwide lockdown was announced to tackle coronavirus. Many of them died while they were returning home as they tried covering hundreds of kilometres on foot. Coronavirus cases in India rose to 90,927. Of these, 53,649 are active cases; while 34,109 have already been cured. The death toll stands at 2872.