Officials try to pacify the mob on Sakchi-Station Road after the accident on Friday. Picture by Bhola Prasad

A teenager ferrying his cousin to a matric examination centre on his bike was crushed under the wheels of a bus belonging to National Metallurgical Laboratory (NML) in Jamshedpur on Friday morning.

The incident took place on Sakchi-Station Road in Golmuri police station area around 8.30am when Ganesh Das (18), a Class XI student and resident of Mahanand Basti in Jemco near Telco, lost control over his two-wheeler as he slammed the brakes to avoid hitting an elderly biker.

Both Ganesh and pillion-rider Ajay Das — a matric examinee from Laxminagar Utkramit Madhyavidyalaya who was headed to appear for his boards at Adivasi High School in Sitaramdera — were without helmets.

The bus, which ferries employees of NML, a CSIR-run research centre in Burmamines, was behind the two-wheeler and ran over Ganesh as he fell on the road along with the bike.

The 18-year-old son of private firm worker Laxman Das died on the spot.

Ajay sustained injuries on his head, chest and hands and was rushed to MGM Medical College and hospital.

He missed the exam.

As the bus driver fled along with the vehicle, local residents gathered on the double-lane Sakchi-Station Road with Ganesh’s body, demanding compensation for his family and imposition of speed limits for heavy vehicles that are regularly involved in fatal accidents.

The blockade continued for over two hours till Dhalbhum sub-divisional officer Prem Ranjan and DSP (city) K.N. Choudhary intervened. Forces from Golmuri and Burmamines police stations were also called in.

The mob dispersed after police told them that the driver of the bus, Deepak Nayak, had been arrested and NML would pay compensation to the victim’s next of kin.

“We raised around Rs 10,000 from our own pockets and handed it over to the deceased’s family for carrying out the last rites. We also assured the protesters that NML would pay compensation in a day or two in keeping with rules laid down by the government,” said Ranjan.

This is the eighth fatal accident to have taken place on the steel city roads so far this year. In 2013, a total of 235 people lost their lives in mishaps.

An NML spokesperson said they were aware of the accident and that senior officials had spoken to the district administration on the issue. The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, however refused to divulge much on the outcome of the talks.