SAGAR: Four constables of a bomb squad from Morena were killed and another cop was seriously injured when their vehicle collided with a container truck in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district on Wednesday, an official said.

The accident occurred at around 4 am on National Highway- 44 between Bandri and Malthone in Sagar district, the official said.

The vehicle carrying personnel of the bomb detection and disposal squad collided head-on with a container truck parked on the wrong side of the highway, Bandri police station in-charge Sumer Jagat said.

The impact was so severe that the police vehicle was severely damaged.

Four personnel died on the spot. They have been identified as constable Pradhuman Dixit, constable Aman Kaurav, driver Paramlal Tomar, all residents of Morena, and dog master Vinod Sharma, hailing from Bhind, the official said.

Another constable, Rajiv Chauhan, sustained serious injuries. He was immediately taken to Bansal Hospital in Bhopal, where his condition was reported to be critical, the official said. A dog that was part of the squad was safe, he said.

After being alerted, local administration and police personnel rushed to the spot and launched a rescue and relief operation.

Prima facie, it seems the police vehicle's driver lost control of the wheels, which led to the accident, the official said.

The police registered a case, and a search was on for the truck driver.

The bodies were sent for post-mortem, the police added.