This is the shocking moment a rickshaw was flattened like a concertina between two buses in a horrifying crash that left at least five people seriously injured in India.

CCTV footage shows a speeding coach crashing into the back of a slow-moving three-wheeled vehicle, shunting it into another bus travelling ahead.

The rear bus was seen pushing forward two to three more times, despite bystanders shouting and banging on the doors in a desperate attempt to stop the driver.

The rickshaw was almost unrecognisable after being sandwiched between the two large vehicles.

Residents rushed to help and managed to pull the five injured people, including the driver, from the wreckage.

All were admitted to the government district hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Police have seized both buses involved, and a case has been registered at the city traffic police station.

Investigators have cited speeding and negligence as the likely causes of the crash in Chitradurga, Karnataka, on August 4.

India has one of the highest rates of road accidents in the world, with thousands of fatalities and injuries reported each year.

The poor track record is blamed on unsafe road conditions, reckless driving, inadequate enforcement of traffic laws, and a lack of awareness about road safety.