Bhadrak: A college student was killed in an accident in Odisha’s Bhadrak district Thursday, prompting locals to block National Highway-16 for several hours, officials said.
The deceased, identified as Shradhanjali Panda, a student of Bhandaripokhari College, was cycling to her campus when she was allegedly hit from behind by a sand-laden tractor, police said.
The impact dragged her under the vehicle, killing her on the spot. She was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared her dead, the officials added.
Outraged by the incident, locals and college students gathered at the site and staged a blockade on the busy NH-16, demanding the immediate arrest of the tractor driver and stronger measures to curb reckless driving in the area.
The protest led to traffic congestion, leaving hundreds of commuters stranded on both sides of the highway for five hours.
Police later reached the spot and held discussions with the agitators and restored normalcy.
An investigation has been initiated into the circumstances surrounding the accident, Bhandaripokhari IIC Rajlakshmi Behera said.
District Collector Dillip Routray, who was in Bhandaripokhari for a meeting, has released Rs 30,000 to the deceased’s father as compensation from the District Red Cross Society.
