A mob set ablaze 16 vehicles at a hot-mix plant and fought a pitched battle with the police after a truck crushed a man at the Gomti Nagar Extension on Tuesday. The police used lathis and rubber-bullets to disperse the mob which hurled brickbats.

Paresh Pandey, SP (Trans-Gomti), said over two dozen motorcycles found on the spot have been seized and these would help in identifying the rioters. District Magistrate Amit Ghosh has ordered an inquiry into the incident.

Tanveer Ahmad of Malesemau village, riding a motorcycle, was hit by a rashly driven truck of Awadh Enterprises — a private firm running the hot-mix plant at Gomti Nagar Extension’s Sector 4. The LDA has owned the land for the last two years. While the youth suffered head injuries and died on the spot, the driver fled.

About 200 residents of Malesarmau, Juravankhera and Makdumpur villages gathered at the spot and set on fire 16 vehicles, including trucks, tractors, road-rollers and levellers. They also torched the houses of the labourers at the hot-mix plant. Shoib, in-charge of the plant, claimed the firm has suffered a loss of Rs 2 crore.

The LDA Joint Secretary, R K Mishra, said Awadh Enterprises was given a contract to supply hot mix for development works in Gomti Nagar Extension over two years ago. “The work was completed and it had recently been asked to wind up its set up. But it ignored the order,” said Mishra.

Awadh Enterprises would be asked to provide compensation to the next of kin of the deceased, he added.