Two persons, including a six-year-old child, died in separate highway mishaps at Jadugora and Baharagora near Jam-shedpur, one on Monday morning and another possibly around Sunday midnight.

At 9am on Monday, a speeding bus coming from Mosabani towards Rakha Mines ran over Jadugora girl Guriya Lugun, 6, who was on her way to school on the state highway. On its way to pick up matriculation examinees from Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya at Rakha Mines, the bus was running late and hence the driver was speeding.

Mowing down the girl from behind, the driver sped with his vehicle some distance and then fled abandoning the bus.

Bystanders informed Gu-riya's father Jena Lugan and within 15 minutes or so, set up a road blockade with the child's body demanding the arrest of the bus driver and compensation to the victim's family.

The Mosabani-Hata str-etch of the state highway linking Jamshedpur was blocked till 11.30am, when police assured protesters of necessary action. "We have identified the speeding bus and would soon nab the bus driver and owner. We will also compensate the victim's family," said Jadugora OC Jitendra Kumar.

Protester Uttam Mardi pointed out that though there were villages on either side of Hata-Mosabani Road, road construction department had not made enough speed-breakers, posing a risk to lives at all times.

Earlier, around 12.30am, the body of one Sudeep Sarkar (35) was found dead and his car mangled on NH-33 in Baharagora, 90km from Jamshedpur. The impact suggested a heavy vehicle had hit Sarkar's car on the highway late in the night. His driving licence said he was a resident of Ghorabandha in Jamshedpur. Baharagora OC Vinod Kumar said no one saw the accident. "But judging from the damage, we think a truck hit the car," the OC said.