Muzaffarnagar (Uttar Pradesh), May 14 (IANS): Six people were killed and two injured after allegedly being run over by a state transport bus while they were walking towards Muzaffarnagar late on Wednesday night.

The deceased have been identified as Harek Singh 51, his son Vikas 22, Guddu 18, Vasudev 22, Harish 28 and Virendra 28.

The victims were migrant workers from Bihar and were walking home. Police are trying to trace their family members and ascertain where they had left from and exactly where they were going.

Anil Kaparvan, SHO Kotwali police station, Muzaffarnagar, said, "We received information around 11 p.m. that a group of persons walking on the NH-9 highway had been hit by a bus. On reaching the spot, we were told by locals that the people were migrants. Six people were declared dead on arrival at the hospital while two have been referred to Meerut for advanced treatment. A case of negligence will be filed against the driver who left the vehicle and fled."

The bus was not carrying any passengers at the time of the accident.

The SHO said, "It is possible that it was one of the buses being used in the evacuation process since no other public transport is operating at this point. The driver escaped and teams have been deployed to apprehend him."

Bloodstains and several pairs of slippers were strewn on the side of the road where the bus hit the persons from behind.