A group of five migrant labourers, who worked as masons in Odisha’s Baripada district, cycled 460km to reach Bokaro’s Gomia block on Wednesday after failing to get any transport to their homes in Giridih.

Prameshwar Das, Ashok Saw, Charku Saw, Khata Saw, Manoj Saw, all aged between 25 and 30 years, started in their own cycles from Baripada at 5pm on May 3.

The labourers, who were stranded in Odisha because of the Covid-19 lockdown, reached Gomia at 9pm on Wednesday.

“We left Baripada on May 3 evening and reached Gomia on cycle,” Prameshwar Das said, adding that they failed to get any transport and thus started cycling.

A local journalist of Gomia, Kuldip Kumar, said all five men reached Bank Mor in Gomia, around 40km from Bokaro, on way to their native place at Rajdhanwar village in Giridih.

“After getting to know a week ago that the lockdown would be extended to May 17, the five men decided to leave for Giridih, 565km from Baripada, on May 3,” Kuldip said.

All five work as daily wage labourers in Baripada and could barely control their tears when they reached Gomia after cycling for three days.

Ashok said they had Rs 500 in their pockets when they left Baripada but a few people along the way offered them food and medicines for the blisters on their feet.

“I hope my journey spreads the message of brotherhood,” he said.

Prameshwar said they have been working as a daily wage labourers in Baripada but there was no point in staying back in the city when there was no earning because of the lockdown.

“No work for 45 days means no income. And surviving in a city like Baripada without income was tough. Since trains and other modes of transport were not available, we decided to ride cycles to reach home,” he said.