Gwalior, Nov 16 : Five young men, all friends, were killed in a road accident on the Gwalior-Jhansi Highway in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday, officials said here.

The horrific collision occurred at around 6.00 a.m. near Malwa College when a speeding Fortuner car smashed into a sand-laden tractor-trolley, leaving no survivors. All were residents of Gwalior.

According to police, the Fortuner (sports utility vehicle) was travelling from Jhansi towards Gwalior when the tragedy occurred. As the vehicle approached Malwa College, a tractor-trolley emerged from a turn onto the highway.

The car, reportedly moving at high speed, lost control, resulting in a catastrophic impact.

Speaking to IANS, DSP Nagendra Singh Sikarwar (Crime) said, â??The collision was so severe that half of the Fortuner was crushed under the trolley, trapping and killing all five occupants instantly.

The mangled wreckage underscored the intensity of the crash. Even the airbags of the car burst with the impact,â?? he said.

When asked if the vehicle was being driven rashly, the senior police official said, â??A vehicle like the Fortuner cannot be easily crashed to an unrecognisable degree; it indicates it was being driven at more than 120 km per hour. Even the airbags could not help. Sadly, all the occupants were young and under 25 years of age. Some of them were the sole sons of their fathers.â??

Police and emergency services rushed to the scene upon receiving calls. With assistance from local villagers, authorities used cutting tools to extricate the bodies from the intertwined wreckage of the car and tractor-trolley.

The operation was gruelling, as the car's frame was almost unrecognisable. The bodies were later sent for post-mortem examination, and an investigation has been initiated to ascertain the precise circumstances of the accident.

The deceased were identified as Kshitij alias Prince Rajawat, Kaushal Bhadoria, Aditya Pratap Singh Jadon, Abhimanyu Singh, and another whose name is yet to be confirmed.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the group, all close friends, were returning from a birthday celebration in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, when the accident occurred. The joyous occasion turned tragic, leaving families and the local community in shock.

Eyewitnesses described a chaotic scene, with the highway temporarily disrupted as rescue efforts continued for a while. Authorities have taken the tractor driver into custody for questioning, and a case has been registered to probe factors such as speeding, road conditions, and possible negligence.

/IANS