A delivery worker has died in Kolkata after being trapped between a burning car and a roadside railing, sparking angry protests and clashes with police.

The incident happened on Wednesday evening near the No. 8 bridge between Kestopur and Salt Lake. Police say a four-wheeler collided with a courier service vehicle, lost control and crashed into the railing. Moments later, the car exploded and caught fire.

Eyewitnesses told local media that the delivery worker, who had stopped his motorbike nearby, became wedged between the railing and the car. While the car’s occupants were rescued, the worker could not be freed and died at the scene.

Two others were injured, one critically, and have been taken to hospital.

The fire brigade said it received a call at around 17:40 local time and sent two engines to extinguish the blaze before retrieving the victim’s body.

Shortly after the accident, local residents surrounded police officers, accusing them of standing by and recording videos instead of trying to rescue the man. Some alleged that the driver of the car was under the influence of alcohol.

Crowds blocked roads and threw stones at officers. Police responded with tear gas after protesters tried to stop traffic on both sides of the bridge. Stones were thrown from both directions, and the situation resembled a “battlefield”, according to witnesses.

A senior police officer rejected accusations of inaction, saying trapped passengers had been rescued and taken to hospital. “We had to use tear gas when protesters tried to block the road,” he said. The cause of the crash remains unclear. Salt Lake East police station is investigating.