Lucknow, Feb 6 (IANS): Three persons were killed and two sustained injuries in a collision between an SUV and a truck in Bachhrawan area of Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli district.

All the passengers in the SUV were residents of Khaga in Fatehpur district and they were returning from Lakhimpur Kheri after attending a 'tilak' ceremony.

SHO, Bachhrawan, N.S. Kushwaha said that the accident took place when the SUV hit a speeding tipper truck. The impact of the collision was so strong that the SUV was reduced to a mangled heap of metal.

Later, a police team, along with fire personnel, rushed to the spot and pulled out the passengers from the mangled SUV with the help of gas-cutters, said the SHO.

"We pulled out five persons from the SUV who were in an unconscious state. They were rushed to a nearby CHC, where three were declared brought dead, while two others were referred to KGMU Trauma Centre in Lucknow," said the SHO.

The deceased were identified as Rajesh Singh (49), Anugrah Pratap Singh (39), and Pratap Bhan Gappu (39), while Suresh Agrahari and Raj Kumar Singh were referred to Lucknow.

The police said all were farmers from Fatehpur. A police team has been formed to nab the errant truck driver.

Raj Kumar Singh, who has been injured, said, "We were moving at a snail's pace while the truck driver seemed to be drunk. Our SUV was hired from a travelling agency."