In a hit-and-run reminiscent of the Sanjeev Nanda BMW case, six persons, including a teenaged girl and a nine-year-old boy, were run over by a brand new white sedan at Azimchak early on Monday morning.

According to police, all the deceased came from Arwal, around 90km southwest of Patna, to work as daily wagers in onion fields in the city.

An officer of Gaurichak police station said: “The car did not have any registration number. The women and the children — who all have been staying at a makeshift hutment on the premises of a government school at Azimchak — were freshening up just off the Gaya-Masaurhi highway to get ready for the day’s work. According to initial information, the car lost control, ran over all the six before hitting an electric pole and falling into a ditch. At present, we do not have an idea about the number of people in the car. But some local residents said they had seen two persons fleeing the accident site leaving the car behind.”

While the five deceased — Kumri Devi (28), Sundari Devi (38), Balwanti Devi (25), Prabha Devi (30) and Manorama (13) — died on the spot, Suraj Kumar (9) was rushed to the Nalanda Medical College Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries in the afternoon. Suraj was Prabha Devi’s son, while Manorama was the daughter of Sundari Devi.

Patna senior superintendent of police Manu Maharaj said: “We are trying to identify the one who was at the wheel besides the vehicle owner.”

In 1999, Nanda, on away home from a late-night party in Gurgaon, drove his BMW to kill six persons, including three policemen, on New Delhi’s Lodhi Road. After years of trial, he was sent to jail.

A similar case happened with Bollywood actor Salman Khan when he ran into a bakery in Mumbai killing a pavement-dweller and injuring one on September 28, 2002.

However, the initial case of culpable homicide against him was dropped.

In Patna, rash driving is not uncommon but such an incident of running over six persons at one go has raised questions about police control over negligence driving.

Another officer of Gaurichak police station said: “We do not have an idea who the car owner is as there is no number plate but its chassis number would obviously come to our help. We are not ruling out any possibility of drunk driving although no liquor bottle has been found in the vehicle. The car will be thoroughly checked later.”

Following the incident, local residents blocked the state highway for around an hour-and-a-half demanding the arrest of the persons involved. “The administration was removed the blockade with the promise of Rs 5,000 compensation to the family members of the victims,” he added.

The bodies of the women have been sent to the NMCH for post-mortem. Their families have also been identified, the officer said.