Cape Town, Feb 27 (IANS): Four police officers were among five people killed in a truck explosion in Mokopane in northern South Africa early Thursday morning, authorities said.

A grocery truck collided with a truck carrying cartridges and soon after the police arrived at the scene of the collision, the cartridges went off, killing the four officers and the truck driver, Xinhua reported citing the police.

The four police officers died in the flames while trying to rescue the driver who was trapped in one of the trucks.

According to a preliminary report provided to South Africa's Minister of Police Nathi Mthethwa, three other police officers were seriously injured and sent to hospital.

Mthethwa, accompanied by the National Commissioner of Police Riah Phiyega and senior police management, has rushed to the accident spot.

A team of police investigators is also at the scene.

Phumla Williams, acting CEO of the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), expressing shock, said: "It is indeed a sad day for government and the people of the country to have lost men in the line of duty.”