The death of a youth in a road accident triggered a massive protest in Bhankerpur village located on the Chandigarh-Delhi National Highway-22 on Friday.

The accident occurred around 7 pm when Jasveer Singh, a resident of Bhankerpur village, was run over by a Punjab Roadways Volvo bus, which was on its way from Chandigarh to Delhi. Within minutes, hundreds of villagers assembled on the highway and surrounded the bus.

Sensing trouble, the driver and the conductor of the bus fled the spot, while over 50 passengers were stranded midway.

Finding the bus crew missing, the angry villagers torched the bus and squatted in the middle of the highway, blocking the heavy vehicular traffic on the four-lane road.

While none of the passengers were inured as they had alighted before it was set on fire, most of them lost their luggage in the blaze.

As the irate villagers, numbering over 200, laid a siege to the expressway, the fire tenders from Dera Bassi, too, got stuck in the jam and could not reach in time.

Around 8 pm, a police team led by Mohali Superintendent of Police (Detective) R K Bakshi arrived at the spot and tried to persuade the protestors to lift the blockade.

When their repeated requests fell on deaf ears, the police resorted to the use of force to disperse the mob and clear the busy highway, which was by then clogged with long rows of vehicles stranded on either side.

It took a heavy police force to control the frayed tempers as traffic was restored around 8.15 pm.

Jasveer’s father Karam Singh said the failure of the authorities concerned to build a flyover on the expressway, which was recently made a four-lane stretch, at Bhankerpur resulted in the death of his son.

Jasveer, who worked with a private company in Dera Bassi, is survived by his wife whom he married six months ago.

Neena, who had boarded the bus for Delhi, was seen running for cover, leaving her belongings in the bus. “I want to save my life first,” she said.

Another passenger, Ankur, who had to reach the Delhi airport to receive a cousin coming from the US, lost his laptop and a bag containing important documents.

The bus passengers faced a tough time making alternate arrangements to continue their journey, that too braving the biting cold and after losing all their belongings.