Tension flared in the Pradhaniguda Dhaba area of Nabarangpur district after an Anganwadi worker, Damayanti Soura, was killed in a road accident on Saturday morning.
Damayanti, a resident of Dulpur village, was riding her scooter to Nuaguda Anganwadi Centre under Pandikot Panchayat when a speeding tipper (OD‑32AL‑3553) rammed her from behind near Pradhaniguda Dhaba. She died instantly at the spot.
Following the incident, family members and Anganwadi union workers staged a road blockade on National Highway‑26, placing the body on the road and demanding compensation. The protest led to hundreds of vehicles being stranded on both sides of the highway.
Police officials, including SDPO Satyajit Kandalkel, IIC Umesh Chandra Nayak, Maydalpur OIC Thabir Ahmed, and ASI Ananta Kadarka, reached the scene to pacify the crowd. The tipper driver fled but was later caught near Maydalpur and taken into custody.
Local administration, led by Tahasildar Tapan Kumar Nayak, tried to negotiate with the protesters, but they insisted that the vehicle owner must come to the spot and provide compensation before lifting the blockade.
