India, Feb. 22 -- Five police personnel were killed and three others critically injured early on Sunday morning after a speeding trailer rammed into a police vehicle in Odisha's Jharsuguda district, police said.

Jharsuguda Superintendent of Police (SP) Gundala Raghavendra Reddy said the collision occurred at dawn in front of the Jharsuguda Sadar Police Station.

The police vehicle was on patrol duty when the trailer, travelling at high speed from the opposite direction, collided head-on with it. "The exact sequence of events is yet to be established. We are interrogating the trailer driver," said the SP.

Police have identified the deceased as Armed Police Reserve personnel Kashiram Bhoi and Debadatta Sa, Drill Sub-Inspector Niranjan Kuj...