Lucknow, July 29 - A mob torched two police posts, a post office and several vehicles after a truck crushed three people to death and injured two dozen more in the main market of Mau town in Uttar Pradesh Wednesday, police said.

Although officials have confirmed only three deaths, eyewitnesses claim that over a dozen people were killed by the truck allegedly driven by a drunk driver.

The incident took place at around 2 p.m. when the truck entered the main Sadar market of the town.

'The driver, who was driving at a very high speed, first rammed into an electric pole and in a bid to escape hit a tractor and a three-wheeler. It then went on till the Sadar railway crossing at the same speed hitting over two dozen motorcycles and 50 pedestrians,' Vishal Singh, an eyewitness, told IANS.

Additional Superintendent of Police Vidyanand Mishra said: 'Three people have died and over 20 injured.'

Inspector J.P. Tiwari said: 'The driver was nabbed by the locals and the truck was set on fire.'

The district magistrate of Mau Rama Shankar Sahu said paramilitary forces have been deployed in the city to prevent further violence.