Puri: A 20-year-old college student died after being hit by a fire tender near Tulasi Chaura, Chandanpur, in Puri district on Monday afternoon.The incident occurred around 2pm when the deceased, Shubham Senapati — a final-year B Sc student at Samanta Chandra Sekhar (SCS) College — was returning home from college. He was barely 600 metres from his house when the fire service vehicle, reportedly coming from the wrong route, hit him. He died on the spot.Soon after the incident, tension flared in the area as enraged locals blocked the road and allegedly assaulted the driver. Chandanpur police rushed to the spot, brought the situation under control, and arrested the driver.Following the incident, students of SCS College staged a protest in front of the Puri Fire Office, demanding justice for their fellow student and stricter action against those responsible.CM Mohan Charan Majhi expressed grief over the incident and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family. He also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for the family of the deceased.
