Bhubaneswar: Normal life was paralysed in western Orissa on Monday and train and bus services hit due to a Congress-sponsored bandh to protest the death of two students at Balangir.

Shops and business establishments were closed besides educational institutions and offices.

Functioning of courts was also affected as lawyers boycotted work in support of the shutdown in nine districts in the region called by state Congress student wing.

BJP also backed the bandh in several places including Sambalpur.

The bandh was called in protest against the death of two students.

While one died after being knocked down by a police van on Friday at Balangir, another was killed in subsequent violence and police action.

With the bandh supporters blocking railway tracks at various places three trains were cancelled in Sambalpur and around five others stranded at Brajrajnagar, Jharsuguda and Bargarh, railway sources said.

A large number of vehicles were also stranded due to blockade of NH-42, NH-6 and other important roads.

Road traffic virtually came to a halt in most places of districts like Balangir, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Sonepur, Deogarh, Sundargarh, Nuapada and Kalahandi.