Boy’s Death In Bus Accident Triggers Tension In Odisha’s Sambalpur; Police Lathi-Charge To Disperse Protesters

Sambalpur: Tension prevailed in Odisha’s Sambalpur following the death of a boy after being hit by a bus near Laxmi Talkies on Wednesday night.

Angry over the incident, a large number of locals gathered at the site and staged a demonstration. In an effort to bring the situation under control and prevent any further flare up, police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.

As per preliminary reports, the student of class-IX was going on a scooter to a chemist store to buy medicines for his mother when the bus hit him, killing him on the spot.

Soon after the accident, a large number of locals gathered at the site, demanding stringent action against the driver of the bus. Shouting slogans, the protesters opposed the movement of buses and heavy vehicles on the crowded route in the evening.

The demonstrators alleged that the bus entered the prohibited road instead of moving on the bypass route. They also staged a roadblock demanding immediate action by the authorities.

Police personnel rushed to the spot and tried to pacify the agitators, whose number continued to swell gradually. However, the situation turned tense as police tried to vacate the spot. This led to a confrontation between agitators and police resorted to resort to a lathi-charge in a bid to prevent the situation from slipping out of control.

Personnel from different police stations were sent to the spot to control the situation and prevent any further flare up. Police personnel in strength have been deployed in the area as a precautionary measure.

While the bus has been seized, the driver of the vehicle was taken into custody, police said.