More buildings burned in N. Aceh

More buildings burned in N. Aceh

BANDA ACEH, Aceh: The administration offices of Samalanga and
Peudada districts in North Aceh regency were set on fire by
unidentified people on Sunday night and Monday morning
respectively.

Samalangan district chief Azhari said he thought the fires
were lit by a group of armed people intending to disrupt Monday's
elections in the troubled province.

"Nobody knows who did it because none of the residents were
willing to leave their houses when the fires were burning," he
said.

No fatalities were reported and material losses were estimated
to reach Rp 100 million (US$11,000).

On Sunday morning, another school in Pidie regency was
torched, also by an unknown group, raising the number of schools
burned in the province so far to 25.

Pidie Police chief Lt. Col. Sirwandi Laut Tawar said the state
SMP 2 junior high school building at the Pekan Pidie subdistrict
was razed by a fire started at 8:15 a.m.

Witnesses said none of the nearby residents dared to get close
to the burning school.

"We're afraid because there are sounds of blasts from the area
and we have no idea about the causes," a resident was quoted by
Antara as saying.