Post News Network
Pipli, Feb 17: An angry mob held up traffic on the Puri-Bhubaneswar National Highway-203 for an hour and ransacked a petrol pump after a sand-laden truck crushed a motorcyclist to death and left the pillion rider critically injured near Krupajal engineering college Tuesday.
The deceased was identified as 55-year-old Kailash Chandra Sahu of Asigharia slum near Balakati while the injured person, 54-year-old Laxmidhar Senapati, was admitted to Capital Hospital.
The two were crossing the road after filling petrol from the pump when the sand-laden truck heading to Puri from Bhubaneswar hit them, according to sources. Kailash fell under the wheels of the truck and died on the spot while Laxmidhar sustained critical injuries.
The protestors alleged the petrol pump owner broke one portion of the road divider in front of the pump to help customers cross the road and said that this had led to the accident.
Pipli police, along with the Kausalyaganj outpost in-charge, arrived at the spot and tried to pacify the agitators. However, the officials could not prevent the mob from vandalising the petrol filling station, sources said.
Later, inspector-in-charge (Pipli) Jadunath Jena reached the spot and assured that adequate compensation would be given to the deceased’s family and action taken against the guilty following which the road blockade was withdrawn.