Bhubaneswar, Feb 4 (IANS) Tension flared up in Odisha’s Bhubaneswar following the tragic death of a minor girl in a road accident involving a bus of the city’s public transport bus service here on Tuesday.
The 12-year-old deceased identified as Kuni Juadi was staying at a nursery in the Raghunathpur area of the city along with her family.
Locals claimed that the girl was going on her bicycle to buy some food items from a local shop when a speeding ‘Mo Bus’ vehicle, the public transport bus service in the city under Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT), crushed her to death at Raghunathpur under Nandankanan police limits.
The minor girl has reportedly died on the spot. The onlookers said the bus dragged her for around 50 to 100 meters on the road after the accident. The irate locals later staged a blockade by burning tyres on the Jaydev Vihar- Nandankanan Road demanding financial compensation for the family.
“The deceased girl’s parents make their living by working as daily wagers in the area and they need adequate financial compensation from the administration for the tragic loss. We also demand the ‘Mo Bus’ authorities take action against drivers involved in reckless driving and also appoint experienced drivers as there are around 10 road accidents have taken place between Bhubaneswar and Cuttack in the last six months involving the Mo Bus vehicles,” said an angry local.
Upon being informed, police and the authorities of CRUT reached the spot and talked to the local residents protesting there. The protestors removed the blockade after getting assurances from the authorities.
Speaking to media persons, a CRUT official said: “This incident can’t be reversed, we are making all the arrangements for providing financial Assistance to the victim’s family.”
He also claimed that initial enquiry has confirmed that the vehicle involved in today’s incident was under the prescribed speed limit and the actual cause behind the death can only be ascertained after further examination.
As per reports, police started the investigation into the matter by detaining the driver of the bus at the Nandankanan police station.
–IANS
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