Athagarh, Jan 30: A tragic road accident near the Maniabandha petrol pump on State Highway 65 claimed the life of an 18-year-old college student and left his friend critically injured.

According to reports, Arman Behera of Nuapada, under Tigiria police station, was traveling with a friend on his Bullet motorcycle to a coaching center in Badamba when the accident occurred. Poor visibility due to dense fog led to a head-on collision with a bus coming from the opposite direction. Both riders were thrown onto the road.

Local residents immediately rushed the injured to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. Doctors declared Arman Behera dead on arrival, while his friend remains in critical condition.

Following the accident, the bus driver surrendered at Maniabandh police station. Authorities have seized the motorcycle and launched an investigation into the incident.

Arman Behera was a second-year commerce student at Badamba Mohan Subuddhi College.