Irate locals of Malmunda village under Puintala block in Balangir district on Monday torched a bus, which mowed down two bike riders, and blocked the key road to Sonepur. The bike, which was coming from the Balangir end of NH 57, was hit head on by a private bus named Rajnigandha coming from Sonepur side in the opposite direction.
While the biker of Sindhekela area was killed on the spot, his pillion rider from Jharbolangir succumbed to his injuries at the Balangir district headquarters hospital.
When the police reached the spot and asked the mob to leave the place, scuffles took place between the police and the agitators. The villagers were angry because the police reached the spot late.