The accident occurred at around 7:30am near Kumira Masjiddah High School when a Ramgoti (Noakhali)-bound bus collided head-on with a CNG-run autorickshaw crammed with eight passengers including six students of the high school. There were five passengers in the back of the auto rickshaw and three in the front.

The dead students are Ainul Karim and Sohel of class X, and Ainul Kamal Ronny and Shimul of class VI.

The others killed in the accident are Rubel, the CNG auto rickshaw driver, Samar Dey, a fruit vendor, Adhir Sarker, customs employee and a former student of the school, said police.

Six on board the three-wheeler died on the spot while Ronny died on way to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH), said police and eyewitnesses.

The two injured students -- Irfan and Noman of class VI -- were also sent to CMCH.

Showing the mangled wreckage of the three-wheeler, witnesses said that as the bus slammed into the light vehicle, it was dragged for about 40 yards before the bus came to a stop.

A mob of locals caught the bus driver and set the bus on fire. They also vandalised at least 30 vehicles on Dhaka-Chittagong highway and barricaded the highway for about an hour in protest at the reckless driving by drivers of heavy vehicles. The mob withdrew the agitation after the police and the army intervened. The driver was placed under police custody.

With yesterday's fatal accident, third one during the last three days in the district, death toll now stands at 17.

Earlier on Sunday morning, five members of a family were killed and 10 others injured when a city service bus and a microbus had a head-on collision in the city's Customs Bridge area under Bandar Police Station.

On Saturday, in Bhatiari area under Hathazari upazila, five people were killed and 14 injured when a speeding four-wheel drive skidded off the road as the driver of the vehicle lost control of it.