Rourkela: Three youths were killed on the spot when the two-wheeler they were riding on was hit from the rear by a coal-laden truck close to the NTPC Power Plant at Darlipali under Bhasma police station late Thursday night. The three deceased were identified as Raghuranjan Pradhan, Ashish Bhoi and Rupak Dharua. The driver of the truck fled the spot after the accident.
As news of the deaths of the three spread, locals in the area blocked the road Friday morning for a substantial time. They demanded compensation for the families of the deceased and strict action to prevent illegal parking on both sides of the road leading to NTPC. The roadblock led to complete chaos in the area with hundreds of vehicles stranded for hours. The demonstrators relented after police assured them that their demands would be looked into. Police also said that they were trying to trace the driver of the truck.
Meanwhile, in another incident, a scooter rider had a providential escape Friday. The scooter came in between two trucks, one of which was trying to overtake the other. Even though the two-wheeler was mangled beyond recognition, the person escaped with minor bruises.