Khajuraho, Dec 6 : Five people were killed after their car collided head-on with a heavily-loaded truck on the road connecting Sagar (Madhya Pradesh) and Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) on Saturday.

The incident occurred in Mungawari village under the jurisdiction of Gulganj police station in Chhatarpur district.

The crash was so severe that five out of eight passengers in the car were crushed to death on the spot, while three critically injured were admitted to Chhatarpur district hospital.

The car occupants, residents of Chhatarpur, were returning from a marriage when their car collided with a truck coming from the opposite side between 3.30 a.m. and 4 a.m.

According to Gulganj SHO Guru Dutt Sesha, the car was being driven towards Chhatarpur from Sagar district when it collided head-on with a truck coming from the opposite side.

The deceased persons have been identified as Mahendra Prajapati (30), Lakshman Prajapati (40), Deepak Prajapati (24), Surendra Prajapati (26) and Lalu Prajapati (17).

The critically injured, recuperating at a government hospital, have been identified as Bhupendra Prajapati and Jitendra Prajapati.

Police said that after initial treatment at Chhatarpur district hospital, they have been referred to Birla Hospital in Satna.

The police said that after receiving information, when they reached the spot, the car was completely crushed, and the bodies were trapped. Locals rescued the injured.

Police said that after the accident, the stuck driver escaped from the spot, who was later detained following a search in the jungle early morning.

"Victims were from a family, and they were returning from a marriage function. A case has been registered, and an investigation is underway," SHO said.

Last month, four people died, and one was critically injured in a head-on collision between two SUVs on the Bhopal-Vidisha highway in the Bairasia police station area, around 60 km from the Madhya Pradesh capital.

Local authorities have urged motorists to exercise caution on rural highways.

/IANS