Youth killed in road accident, lorry set ablaze by mob

A youth was killed in a road accident after a motorcycle collided head on with a goods laden lorry in Tripura's Unakoti district on Thursday. Aggrieved by the incident, an angry mob set the vehicle on fire and blocked a national highway, police said.

The incident took place near a police naka point on the Assam-Agartala National Highway in the Demdum ADC Village area under Fatikroy police station.

According to police, the goods vehicle bearing registration number AS-25EC-1375 was travelling from Fatikroy towards Kamalpur when it collided head-on with a Pulsar motorcycle (TR02-J-7222) coming from the opposite direction near the naka point.

The motorcyclist, identified as Panthai Debbarma, sustained critical injuries in the collision and was rushed to Fatikroy Hospital by police personnel and firefighters deployed at the naka point.

Doctors at the hospital declared him dead on arrival, officials said.

The driver of the goods vehicle, identified as Liton Kar, was also rescued from the spot and taken to the hospital. He was later referred to Unakoti District Hospital after his condition deteriorated.

Hospital doctor Mrinmoy Chakma said Debbarma had died due to injuries sustained in the accident, while Kar suffered serious injuries after being assaulted by members of the public following the crash.

The accident triggered protests by locals, who intercepted the goods vehicle and allegedly assaulted the driver.

As news of the youth's death spread, the agitation intensified and protesters set the vehicle on fire. Fire and Emergency Services personnel rushed to the spot and attempted to douse the flames, but the vehicle was completely gutted, officials said.

The protest led to the blockade of the Assam-Agartala National Highway for several hours, disrupting traffic movement in the area.

Police and Tripura State Rifles personnel were deployed to bring the situation under control. The body of the deceased was kept at the Fatikroy Hospital morgue for post-mortem examination.

The situation later returned to normalcy following police intervention, though additional security forces have been deployed in and around Demdum as a precautionary measure.