BERHAMPUR: Two college students were killed after being run over by a speeding bus in Ramanaguda area of Rayagada district on Thursday.
The deceased were identified as Debendra Sabar (19) and Bishnu Sabar (18), both from Badisola village under Kolnara block. They were Plus II first-year students of Ramanaguda college. Sources said the duo was on way to the college on a motorcycle when a private bus hit them at Palupai village under Ramanaguda police limits. Due to the impact, they were thrown off the bike and run over by the passenger vehicle. Locals rushed the critically-injured youths to Ramanaguda community health centre (CHC) where doctors declared them brought dead.
Receiving information, police reached the CHC and seized the bodies for autopsy. After postmortem, relatives of the two deceased youths and locals blocked NH-326 near Palupai village and staged dharna in front of Ramanaguda CHC demanded adequate compensation for the bereaved family.
As traffic on NH-326 was paralysed due to the blockade, Ramanaguda BDO Pradyumna Kumar Mandal, tehsildar Pranakrushna Panigrahi, Gunapur SDPO Babuli Nayak, local IIC Sunita Behera rushed to the protest site and held discussion with the irate locals. The blockade was lifted at around 7.30 pm after Gunupur sub-collector Dilip Abhishek Dudhal reached the spot and assured the agitators to consider their demand.
Police said both the vehicles involved in the mishap were seized and the bus driver has been detained for questioning.