LUCKNOW, Sept. 8 -- Three people were killed and three others critically injured after the car they were travelling in crashed into a transformer near Oel town in Lakhimpur Kheri district in the early hours of Monday, police said. The accident took place around 2.30am in the Kheri police station area, about 8km from the district headquarters. The collision was so intense that it sounded like an explosion, according to local residents. Police said the group, all residents of Lakhimpur, was travelling towards Sitapur in a car when the vehicle went out of control near Oel. The car crossed the footpath, entered a field and crashed into a transformer installed there. The collision caused electrical wires to break and fall onto the car, triggering sparks and a fire. The six occupants became trapped inside the vehicle. Hearing their screams, local residents rushed to the spot and alerted the police and fire brigade. The fire was brought under control after some time, but by then a large portion of the car had been gutted. Ayush Kumar, a resident of Shiv Colony, died at the spot after being burnt alive. His body was found stuck to the driver's seat, police said. The other five occupants suffered severe burn injuries and somehow managed to get out of the vehicle. They were found struggling on the roadside until help arrived. All five injured men were taken to hospital, where two succumbed to their injuries during treatment. Police identified one of the deceased as Akash Verma, a resident of Pipariya Bypass. The identity of the other deceased is being verified. Two injured have been identified as Piyush Singh, Aman Verma while the identity of another occupant is yet to be established. Police said preliminary inquiry suggested that the driver may have dozed off, causing the car to go out of control. However, officials said the exact cause of the accident would be established only after investigation. Police are verifying whether Ayush owned the car or whether it had been hired by the group. In a post on X, Lakhimpur Kheri police said its personnel immediately reached the spot, shifted injured to hospital. htc...