Firemen douse the truck that was set ablaze by angry mob in Bhubaneswar on Friday. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Nov. 19: The death of a young motorcyclist on the NH-5 near Gandhi Market today sparked off violence with an angry mob setting fire on the truck involved in the accident and blocking traffic on the road for nearly half an hour.

The victim, Buddheswar Behera (28), was run over by the speeding truck around 3.30pm. The Tamil Nadu-bound truck was coming from Assam. The driver and helper of the truck have been arrested. But, police are facing difficulty while interrogating them since they do not know Hindi or English.

Eyewitnesses said that Behera, a resident of Nua Sahi under Pipli police station, was going from Gandhi Market to Badamunda when the truck coming from the Vani Vihar side hit him from behind. As he was thrown off his bike onto the road, the truck crushed him under its wheels.

“We saw his blood-soaked body lying on the road. The body was mutilated so badly that it was not possible to recognise the person,” said B.C. Sahu, an eyewitness. The body was sent to the Capital Hospital for post-mortem.

As the news spread, hundreds of local residents gathered at the spot and set the truck, loaded with tea, on fire. The fire was extinguished after the fire brigade vehicles arrived the spot nearly twenty minutes later. The agitated mob also blocked the road by burning tyres.

Eyewitnesses said that the truck hit Behera while he moved out along with other vehicles from the Gandhi Market side, after the signal became green.

“Had the traffic policeman not allowed the vehicles from the Gandhi Market side to move in, the youth could have been saved. While taking turn towards Badamunda, he may not have been aware that the truck coming from Vani Vihar side was approaching his motorcycle,” said the eyewitness, adding that the truck should also have reduced its speed at the crossing.

The traffic intersection near Gandhi Market is one of the busiest intersections in the city. Several accidents have taken place here even in the past.

This is the second major road accident in the city in the last two days. Yesterday, a Konark-bound bus had careened over at the Rasulgarh Square after hitting the road divider, injuring five persons. The injured passengers had to be taken to a city hospital.