Two girl students were crushed to death when a lorry hit their bicycle at Palakarai on Saturday.
The police identified the deceased as S. Jahana (12) of Jailpettai in the city and her relative Nabija Banu (10) of Balasamudram in Dindigul district. Jahana was studying standard VII while Nabija Banu was studying standard V.
The accident occurred when Jahana was going to meet her father, Sheik Abdullah, who was running an eatery on Madurai Road, along with the other girl on the bicycle.
The sugar laden lorry was on its way to Gandhi market. Both of them, who were hit by the lorry, died on the spot, sources said.
As news spread about the accident, irate residents and shop keepers staged a road roko on Madurai Road, demanding the arrest of the lorry driver, who ran away from the spot soon after the accident.
A section of agitators climbed on the lorry and threw down sugar bags from it.
They raised slogans against the police for lacklustre enforcement of traffic rules. However, the agitators withdrew their protest following an assurance from the police that tough action would be taken against the driver.
The agitators said that the accident could have been averted had the police strictly prevented the lorry from entering the city during the peak hour.
