BARGARH: Tension gripped Bargarh town on Sunday afternoon after a tragic road mishap near Gurudwara Chowk claimed the lives of a couple and left their two kids grievously injured.
The deceased were identified as Harekrushna Dunguri (37) and his wife Kuntala Dunguri (35) of Ambabhona block.
Sources said the couple, along with their two minor sons, was travelling on a scooter towards Sambalpur. Kuntala was riding the two-wheeler. At around 4 pm, a tipper truck en route to Bargarh railway station from Sambalpur rammed into their scooter at Gurudwara Chowk.
While Harekrushna and Kuntala were killed on the spot, their sons, aged 11 and nine years, sustained grievous injuries. The minors were rushed to the nearby old district headquarters hospital, Bargarh for treatment.
The incident sparked tension in the area as angry locals vandalised the tipper truck and assaulted its driver before staging a protest at Gurudwara Chowk, alleging reckless driving and frequent accidents at the busy junction. They demanded adequate compensation from the district administration for the bereaved family and immediate steps to enhance road safety at the spot.
On being informed, police rushed to the protest site and held discussion with the agitators. After much persuasion, the protest was called off. Police said the truck was seized and its driver detained. Bodies of the accident victims were also seized for postmortem.
Bargarh sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) PB Tripathy said despite the presence of a traffic signal at the spot, the truck ran over the two wheeler leading to the tragic mishap. The truck driver suffered injuries after being assaulted by the angry mob and has been admitted to the hospital.
The SDPO said a case has been registered in this connection and further investigation is underway.