Thrissur: Poor road conditions claimed yet another life in Thrissur on Saturday. A 24-year-old man died after being hit by a private bus while trying to avoid a pothole near Ayyanthole. The deceased, Abel Chacko, a native of Elthuruth, was a bank employee.

The accident occurred on the Ayyanthole–Puzhakkal road while Abel was on his way to work. According to eyewitnesses, he swerved to avoid a pothole while attempting to overtake a private bus heading towards Kunnamkulam. Following this, he lost control of the bike and was run over by the bus. He died on the spot. The road is maintained by the Public Works Department (PWD).

The incident sparked public outrage. Locals blocked the road soon after the accident, and political workers from both the Congress and BJP joined in, staging a sit-in protest and halting traffic. The protest was led by Congress Opposition Leader Rajan J Pallan and BJP Thrissur Constituency President Raghunath C Menon.

Protesters demanded immediate repair of potholes on the road, financial compensation for the deceased’s family and the presence of the District Collector at the site. As police attempted to disperse the crowd, minor scuffles broke out. The protesters were eventually removed to restore traffic flow. In response to the incident, Minister Mohammad Riyas has directed the department’s vigilance wing to submit an urgent report on the incident.

This is the second such tragedy in a month. On June 26, Vishnudutt (32), a resident of Poonkunnam, was killed in a similar pothole-related accident on MG Road in Thrissur. The Kerala High Court has since sought a report from the Thrissur Municipal Corporation regarding that incident.