BHUBANESWAR: Tension prevailed at the Raghunathpur area within Nandankanan police limits here after a Mo Bus allegedly crushed a 12-year-old girl to death on Tuesday morning.
The incident took place at around 9 am, when the girl was riding cycle along the Raghunathpur road. The Mo Bus, approaching from behind, hit and ran over her.
The victim reportedly died on the spot.
Following the incident, agitating villagers blocked the busy Nandankanan-Jaydev Vihar road and also detained three Mo Buses.
They also burnt tyres on the road and protested seeking adequate compensation for the deceased.
The locals alleged that the driver did not slow down the vehicle even after hitting the minor girl and dragged her for several metres.
They demanded humps on the road and action against the reckless drivers.
Some locals said that this was the fourth such accident on the road and despite their complaint, the authorities have failed to look into the matter.
Nandankanan police team that reached the spot to bring situation under control said the driver surrendered himself following the accident. Further investigation into the matter is in progress, they said.
Meanwhile, Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) that manages the Mo Bus service in the capital region announced Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia for the family of the deceased.
An official from the CRUT said they will also strive for more compensation to the victim’s family through insurance.
The official admitted that the driver was at fault. He, however, said the agency is taking all possible measures to check Mo Bus accident.
“We will soon install the advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) in the Mo Bus fleet. This will alert drivers when the bus gets close to any other vehicle. It will be implemented on a priority basis,” the official said.
Notably, the Mo Buses have been in the eye of storm over frequent accidents.
On January 23, two Mo Buses collided with each other leading to a series accident on the Master Canteen-Raj Mahal Square stretch of Janpath in the capital city leaving five persons, including a girl, injured.