At least five people were killed and six others injured in two separate road accidents at different upazilas in the district on Thursday night and Friday. Sources said a Boalkhali-bound salt-laden truck collided head-on with a Patiya-bound CNG-driven auto-rickshaw near Char Kanai Military Pool of the Patiya-Boalkhali Link Road at around 11:00pm on Thursday.

Four of the five passengers in the auto-rickshaw died on the spot, while the other one was injured and undergoing treatment at the Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH). Jashim Uddin, officer-in-charge (OC) of Patiya Police Station, said the truck driver fled from the scene after leaving the truck on the road. Both vehicles were seized, he added.

On the other hand, a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader was killed when a bus ran over him in Barotakia Bazar area of Dhaka-Chattogram Highway under Mirsharai upazila. The deceased was identified as Md Kamrul Alam, 48, son of Khorshed Alam of village Moghadiya under the upazila. He was the convener of the BNP Moghadiya Union unit.

Sources said a covered van hit a bus from behind at the mentioned area at around 9:00am on Friday.

Khorshed, who was walking by the roadside, was run over by the bus at that time, while five other passengers were injured, said Sub Inspector (SI) Md Alamgir of Kumira Highway police station. The accident left him injured critically, and he died on the way to the hospital, he said.