The death of a 60-year-old cyclevan-puller under the wheels of a lorry triggered violence in the port area on Wednesday evening.

Local youths set fire to the driver’s cabin and threw stones at policemen when they arrived on the spot. The driver and help of the lorry fled.

The mishap took place around 6pm on Raymond Road when Triveni Mahato, a resident of neighbouring Coal Berth Road, was on his way to a local market to buy vegetables.

“The lorry was moving at high speed when it hit Mahato’s cycle-van,” said Ram Kumar, a local resident.

Some residents chased the lorry and intercepted it but the driver and the helper fled. Some youths sprinkled kerosene on the driver’s cabin and set it on fire. The cabin was gutted within minutes.