A driver has been arrested after a hit-and-run accident that killed two people and injured five others in Lingshui Li autonomous county, Hainan province, local police said in a statement on Sunday.

The incident took place at about 21:00 on Friday in Yingzhou township, Lingshui.

According to a police statement issued on Saturday, a 53-year-old man surnamed Lin was driving a small off-road vehicle when it collided with a four-wheeled electric vehicle that was operating illegally and was not an authorized sightseeing vehicle.

Two people were killed at the scene, while five others were injured. The driver fled following the collision, police said.

Emergency services were dispatched shortly after the crash, and the injured were taken to local hospitals. Authorities said those receiving treatment were in stable condition and did not have life-threatening injuries.

Police later detained the driver. A preliminary investigation found he had been driving under the influence of alcohol, although drug use was ruled out, according to the statement.

Further investigation is underway, and follow-up procedures are being carried out in accordance with the law, it added.