Baripada: An irate mob set fire to a primary health centre and beat up the doctor after three persons, victims of an accident, died at Bagdega under Bahalda police station, about 115 km from Baripada, today (Apr 16, 2004) police said.

A cloth shop owner and his two sons were riding a scooter to their village when they were hit by a truck chassis on its way from Jamshedpur to Rairangpur.

While the man was killed on the spot, his two sons were brought to the PHC in a serious condition. As no oxygen was available there, the doctor advised that the injured boys should be taken to Jamshedpur for treatment.

The boys, however, died on their way to Jamshedpur.

As soon as the news about their death reached Bagdega, about five thousand people stormed the PHC, beat up the doctor, ransacked the place and set it ablaze.

They also torched the truck chassis, which had caused the accident.

The angry crowd then staged a "rasta roko" on the Jamshedpur-Rairangpur road stalling traffic.

Fire tenders were rushed from Rairangpur to douse the flames. The Superintendent of Police, Diptesh Patnaik and police force had rushed to Bagdega, the sources said.