Five-year-old killed in road accident on Puri Bada Danda; Locals Block Road
Puri(By Abhishek Mohanty): A five-year-old boy was killed in a road accident on the busy Bada Danda stretch of Puri town on Friday morning, triggering tension and a road blockade by locals.
The incident took place near Balgandi Chhak when a Bolero SUV allegedly hit a scooter from behind. The deceased has been identified as Shreyansh Dey, a resident of Puri. He was travelling with his grandfather on the scooter at the time of the mishap.
Both sustained serious injuries and were rushed to a hospital. While doctors made efforts to save the child, he succumbed to his injuries during treatment. His grandfather is undergoing treatment.
Irked over the incident, locals staged a road blockade at Medical Chhak, burning tyres and disrupting traffic movement.
Family members of the deceased also joined the protest by placing the body on the road, demanding compensation and strict action against the erring driver.
Senior police officials, including Puri SP Prateek Singh, reached the spot and held discussions with the protesters to restore normalcy.
The victim’s family alleged that the driver of the Bolero SUV was under the influence of alcohol and demanded stringent action, citing frequent rash driving on the stretch.
The Kumbharpada police have seized the SUV and detained the driver for questioning.
Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed grief over the incident and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh for the deceased child’s family.
