A school student died and another student sustained severe injuries after a tractor hit them near Nuapokhari Dhanaghar under Agarpada Police limits in Bhadrak district on Tuesday.
The deceased has been identified as Aditya Jena and the injured Kartabya Pramanik, both Class V students of Dhanaghar Project Primary School. The incident triggered tension in the village with the angry villagers staging a roadblock on Bant-Agarpada road demanding compensation and stringent action against the tractor driver.
According to sources, Aditya and Kartabya were returning home riding bicycles. Near Dhanaghar Chhak, they were standing by the roadside when a tractor that was returning after unloading paddy allegedly ran over them. While Aditya died on the spot, seriously injured Kartabya was rescued and rushed to Agarpada government hospital. He was later shifted to Bhadrak district headquarters hospital for better treatment.
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As the news spread, angry villagers came onto the Bant-Agarpada road and staged a roadblock by burning tyres on the road, demanding suitable compensation to the families of the deceased and injured students. Following the mishap, they detained the driver along with his tractor and later handed him over to the police.
“After unloading paddy, the tractor was coming at a great speed. They (Aditya and Kartabya) were standing on the roadside when the tractor hit them. The driver might be driving under the influence of alcohol,” said a relative.