Bhubaneswar, February 22: Tragedy struck Jharsuguda district on Sunday morning when a head-on collision between a police vehicle and a stone chips-laden truck claimed the lives of five police personnel. Three others were critically injured in the incident, which occurred on National Highway 49, near the Jharsuguda Sadar Police Station.

The eight police personnel were returning from a colleague's wedding in Rengali, located under the Lakhanpur police station jurisdiction. The crash was so violent that five officers died instantly, while the remaining three were left battling for their lives.

Locals and fellow officers promptly arrived at the scene to extricate the victims from the mangled wreckage, quickly transporting them to Jharsuguda District Headquarter Hospital. Senior police officials immediately reached the hospital to oversee the situation.

The truck driver has been detained, and the vehicle seized. Police have initiated an investigation into the tragic accident.