Bhadrak: Five school students were killed after they were run over by a speeding truck on the National Highway No. 16 near Rahanja, 2km from Bhadrak town, on Thursday afternoon.

The deceased have been identified as Saryabrata Barik, Kalpana Jena, Sweta Sahu, Sukanya Sahu and Priyambada Mohanty, all hailing from Asura village.

Four others were injured in the accident. Police said one of the injured had been referred to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, while the other three injured are being treated at Bhadrak district headquarters hospital.

All the victims, including four girls, were students of Class IX in Ranital High School. While four girls died on the spot, another victim succumbed to his injuries on his way to hospital.

Expressing grief over the accident and deaths of the students, chief minister Naveen Patnaik has announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the kin of the deceased.

Eyewitnesses said the students were returning home from school on six bicycles, when a wheat-laden truck hit them. "The impact was so severe that all of them were thrown to some distance. By the time we rushed to the spot, some of them had died," said an eyewitness.

The mob caught hold of the driver and assaulted him. However later, the truck driver managed to escape from the spot.

Tension prevailed at the spot after the mob torched the truck and staged a roadblock, demanding installation of proper signage, speed limits and speed breakers along the national highway. The demonstrators had also demanded compensation for the victims.

Officials of the district administration, including Bhadrak collector Gyana Das, were present on the spot at the time the report was filed. Later, the police resorted to lathi charge to disperse the mob. The police said they were trying to nab the driver of the vehicle.

Commerce and transport minister Nrushingha Charan Sahu said the exact reason behind the accident would be investigated, and stern action would be taken against those responsible after the inquiry. The minister also said they would review whether the accident spot was identified as a black spot (accident-prone spot). At present, 286 black spots have been identified.