Mob destroys wrong car

DENPASAR, Bali: Hundreds of angry people in the village of Tabu in Karangasem, some 70 kilometers northeast of here, destroyed a Kijang van and drove it into a ravine on Saturday night, believing that a group of criminals were inside.

Bali Police spokesman Lt. Col. Y. Suyatmo said on Monday that the car belonging to the Arts Institute in Denpasar was passing through the area when villagers were chasing a group of unidentified men who tried to rob a house.

"The mob intercepted the van, destroyed it and pushed it into a nearby ravine," Suyatmo said. "Fortunately the driver, Ketut Mudita, managed to escape."

The institute's principal, Dr. Wayan Dibia, said during a negotiation the villagers agreed to repair the car. (zen/sur)