Angry Pamulang residents burn crane

West Pamulang, Tangerang, residents set a crane owned by a housing developer on fire after a truck driver hit and killed a three-year-old boy on Saturday.

"The people were apparently angry as they couldn't catch the truck driver and then burned the crane instead," a police officer said.

Some area residents said the crane caught fire due to a short circuit, but Tres, an employee of the company constructing the housing project, said this was not likely.

The accident which killed Daryanto took place at the site of the housing project, which is reportedly being constructed by the developer of the nearby Villa Pamulang Mas housing complex.

"Trucks have been working here for about a month, and the children love to see the trucks coming and going ," an area resident said.

The truck driver, identified as Murdan, is being held by the Pamulang police.

Murdan told The Jakarta Post that he did not notice the boy who was crushed under one of the right wheels because he was concentrating on the children jumping up on the truck from the left side.

"I stopped when I saw lots of children climbing (onto the truck) from my left, then I started again and the boy was suddenly under the wheel," Murdan said. (anr)