A car was set on fire after it hit four minors near Malighat in Muzaffarpur, around 80km north of Patna, early on Saturday morning.

Police said the students were hurt when they were returning from school. Two of them were seriously injured as they came under the wheels of the vehicle.

Residents reached the spot and rushed Ghanshyam Kumar, Saumya, Mohammad Arman and Arnab to a hospital where the condition of two was stated to be critical.

Residents told the police that a minor was at the wheels of the car and that the locality was densely populated.

The police said the identity of the driver was ascertained. "Raids are on to take the erring driver into custody. He will be booked under the Motor Vehicles Act, which doesn't allow a minor to drive a vehicle," said an official at the Mithanpur police station, under whose jurisdiction the area falls.

Two persons were detained for interrogation in the case.

Rs 5 lakh looted

Criminals looted Rs 5 lakh from Patna-based garment trader Ram Bhushan Agrawal on the Bikram-Bihta road in Patna rural on Saturday.

Police said the incident occurred when the Sabzibagh resident was returning to Patna from Arwal in his car after collecting dues from shopkeepers.

An FIR was lodged against unidentified persons. However, no one was arrested.