Meerut, Feb. 7 -- In Meerut district, a road accident claimed the lives of two friends after a school bus rammed into their motorcycle near the Ganga Expressway underpass on the Kharkhoda-Mundali road late Thursday night. The impact was so severe that both the youths were flung several metres away. The accident occurred in Bijoli village under the jurisdiction of Kharkhoda police station. The bus involved in the accident belonged to a school. The driver abandoned the bus and fled immediately after crash. Police have launched a search operation to trace and arrest him. The deceased have been identified as Suhel (25) and Faizan (24), residents of Tyodi village in the Bhojpur police station area of Ghaziabad district. They were travelling together on a motorcycle towards Ajrara when the accident took place. According to police, as the youths reached the service road near Ganga Expressway underpass at Bijoli, the school bus coming from the opposite direction collided head-on with their motorcycle. Eyewitnesses said the bus hit the bike with tremendous force, throwing both riders nearly 10 metres into a nearby field and dragging the motorcycle for about 50 metres. Both sustained critical injuries, with severe damage to their faces. Passersby immediately alerted the police and ambulance services. The injured were rushed to separate hospitals-Suhel was taken to the Community Health Centre, while Faizan was admitted to Saras Hospital in Meerut. Doctors at both facilities declared them dead on arrival. Kharkhoda inspector Rajpal Singh said efforts are underway to identify and arrest the absconding bus driver....