Gaya, July 5 Maoist set two buses on fire after hijacking them in Gaya district of Bihar, police said on Sunday.

According to reports, Maoists torched the buses as the owner refused to pay them ransom.

Armed Maoists hijacked the two private transport buses plying on an inter-state route on Saturday and forced the passengers to alight before directing the drivers to ply the buses towards nearby forests.

Later the Maoists set free the drivers and helpers of the buses.

A police patrol reached the jungle in the evening but found it difficult to advance towards the spot due to darkness.

The police resumed the search Sunday morning. However, the Maoists torched the buses before police could reach there.

"We were unable to trace vehicles as they were parked in jungle and it was dark. We advanced towards the jungle in the morning. However they (Maoists) came to know about our presence when we were around 1.5 km away from the spot. So they torched the vehicles," said Ranjan Kumar, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Gaya. (ANI)