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.