A cylinder blast aboard a police micro-bus hit by an army welfare truck left two people dead and eight injured in Chauddagram upazila, Comilla district late on Wednesday.
A policeman and an arrestee were killed when the army truck crashed into the micro-bus causing the gas cylinder to explode, around 11:30pm Wednesday.
The police vehicle was carrying a Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Detective Branch (DB) team to the capital after arresting five criminals in Chittagong.
DB constable Abdul Aziz was killed instantly. An arrestee, who had sustained 87% burn injuries, died around 6pm yesterday while being treated at the Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Farhad Hossain, officer-in-charge of Chauddagram police station, said: “We have seized the truck but the driver and helper have fled.”
The four policemen being treated at the burn institute have been identified as DB Assistant Sub-Inspector Abdul Malek with 38% burn injuries, Constable Shariful with 4%, Constable Anowar with 5% and Constable Nurul Hasan with 8% burn injuries.
Four arrestees being transported in the micro-bus also suffered severe burns. They have been identified as Saddam who sustained 18% burn injuries, Nazim 33%, Abdul Shukur 80% and Bashir 27% burn injuries.
Mokhlesur Rahman, additional inspector general of police, visited the injured policemen at the burn institute.
DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Miah, police high officials and burn institute doctors were present during the visit, according to a media release issued by Police Headquarters.
After the visit, Mokhlesur said: “The accident took place when the DB team, after conducting a successful drive, was on its way back to Dhaka. We will provide all possible support to the injured policemen.”
Mokhlesur added: “We are treating this as a regular accident, but are also looking into whether the weather played a role in the crash.”