Sambalpur, Jan. 22: Tension gripped Gumlei village in Katarbaga police limits, around 40km from here, after a 17-year-old boy died while working at a stone crusher unit today.
The deceased has been identified as Dheeraj Behera of the same village.
The incident took place when Dheeraj was cleaning the conveyor belt of the crusher, which carries the stones for crushing, Sources said somebody switched on the crusher while he was cleaning the belt. Consequently, the victim got trapped there and died on the spot.
The incident triggered tension in the area. Local villagers and labourers, who were present at the site, set seven vehicles, including five trucks, on fire. The irate villagers also set the site office of the crusher unit afire.
Later, the protesters blocked the Sindurpankh-Bamra road, which passes through the village, at Gumlei demanding closure of the unit and adequate compensation for the family of the deceased. The villagers also prevented the fire tender from going to the unit. "We want the authorities to shut down the unit. We also demand adequate compensation for the family of the deceased," said Manikya Oram, 40, a villager.
"We had opposed the establishment of the crusher here. But, the district administration did not pay any heed to our demand," said Utpalaa Dharua, 24.
Hundreds of vehicles were stranded because of the road blockade.
Police and district administration officials rushed to the spot to calm the agitators.
"We are trying to convince the people to withdraw the roadblock. We are yet to extricate the body of the boy trapped in the crusher because of the roadblock. The body will be sent for autopsy after it is removed," said inspector in charge of Katarbaga police station Sudam Mallick.
He also said that no one from the crusher unit had come to discuss the issue with the villagers. The roadblock was continuing at the time of the filing of this report.
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