Lucknow, June 28 (IANS) The death of a passenger in a bus accident sparked violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Banda district where an angry mob Monday indulged in arson and fought pitched battles with the police, officials said.

The mob torched the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) bus, demanding immediate arrest of the driver and also targeted other public property in Bisanda area, some 200 km from Lucknow.

Locals alleged that due to the callousness of the driver, the speeding bus skidded off the road and fell into a deep pit, killing a youth and injuring 16 others.

‘The situation is still tense, but under control. Additional security has been deployed in the area,’ Inspector Kripal Singh told reporters in Banda.

‘Of the 16 injured, the condition of four is stated to be critical. The injured have been admitted to hospital. Efforts are on to nab the absconding bus driver, who was not following the speed limits in the area,’ he added.