Sonepur: In a tragic incident, three school students were killed and one more student suffered critical injuries as a speeding car ran over them at Saradhapalli in this district Wednesday. The four were returning home after appearing for their class VI exams. They had just come out of the gate of the Saradhapalli Upper Primary School when the speeding car ran over them after hitting the boundary wall of the educational institution. The car after running over the students hit another portion of the boundary wall before coming to a stop.
The deceased have been identified as Subrat Bhoi (11), Rajesh Pera (10) and Raja Pera (10) while the condition of the injured Kapil Bhue (13) is stated to be critical.
One of the students died on the spot while among the three others who were taken to the Sonepur district headquarters hospital, two died while undergoing treatment.
The accident sparked off tension in the locality. Locals managed to stop the car and overpower the driver. He was later handed over to the police who reached the accident spot quickly. The vehicle has been seized and the police have launched a probe to ascertain the cause of the accident. Police are also looking as to whether the car developed any technical snag which may have led to the accident.
Irate locals also blocked the Sonepur-Binika road affecting vehicular movement on the route for several hours. They demanded adequate compensation for family members of the deceased. Later after assurance of district administration officials, the locals withdrew their agitation.