A college student was killed in an accident in Odisha’s Bhadrak district Thursday, prompting locals to block National Highway-16 for several hours, officials said.

The deceased, identified as Shradhanjali Panda, a student of Bhandaripokhari College, was cycling to her campus when she was allegedly hit from behind by a sand-laden tractor, police said.

The impact dragged her under the vehicle, killing her on the spot. She was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared her dead, the officials added.

Outraged by the incident, locals and college students gathered at the site and staged a blockade on the busy NH-16, demanding the immediate arrest of the tractor driver and stronger measures to curb reckless driving in the area.

The protest led to traffic congestion, leaving hundreds

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