Two people, including a policeman, were killed and eight others injured as a microbus carrying a DB team and detainees caught fire after an iron-laden truck hit it at Chauddagram in Comilla Wednesday night.

Abdul Aziz, 34, a constable of the Detective Branch, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), died on the spot while 50-year-old Shawkat who had been picked up during an anti-narcotics operation in Chittagong died of his injuries at the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital yesterday, said police and hospital sources.

Other members of the DB team -- Sub-inspector Abdul Malek, 35, and constables Anwar Hossain, 38, Shariful Islam, 42, and Nurul Hasan, 38 -- suffered four to 38 percent burns. They along with injured detainees -- Abdus Shukur, 50, Basir, 35, Nazir, 40, and Saddam, 25 -- were admitted to the burn unit of the hospital.

Six of them are in a critical condition, said the unit's resident surgeon Partha Shankar Paul.

Meanwhile, visiting the injured policemen at the hospital yesterday noon, Additional Inspector General Mokhlesur Rahman said the incident would be investigated to find out whether there had been any foul play. DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia was with him.

The microbus was rear-ended by the iron-laden truck as it reached Chauddagram on the way to Dhaka from Chittagong, said Mohammad Farhad, officer-in-charge of Chauddagram Police Station.

The gas cylinder of the microbus exploded on impact, causing a fire, said constable Nurul who was in the driving seat.

Inside the microbus, the policemen were seated on the front row while the detainees in the back, said Basir, one of the detainees.

Claiming to be a farmer at Anwara of Chittagong, he added the detainees could not escape the fire as they had been handcuffed.

Wishing not to be named, a relative of Shawkat, the detainee who died of burns, said Shawkat had a restaurant in Fakirer Haat area, Chittagong. He left the restaurant Wednesday afternoon and remained missing since.

His family heard of the accident yesterday morning, the relative said. 

The DB team detained the five in different areas of Chittagong on suspicion of having links with drug smuggling during an anti-narcotics operation, said Muntasirul Islam, deputy commissioner (media) of DMP. 

They were heading to Dhaka for further legal action, he added.

The police seized the truck but the driver fled the scene, said OC Farhad of Chauddagram police.