Two bus drivers wanted for arson attack, murder
Two bus drivers wanted for arson attack, murder
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Two bus drivers are wanted by the police in connection with an
arson attack on a bus on Jl. Condet Raya, Pasar Rebo, East
Jakarta, and the murder of its driver, a police officer said on
Tuesday.
"Both suspects are still at large, but we will immediately
arrest them as we've got their names," Pasar Rebo Police
subprecinct chief Adj. Comr. Rusidi D.T. told The Jakarta Post.
Rusidi alleged that the suspects were drivers who served the
Kampung Rambutan-Kampung Melayu route, the same route plied by
the T-53 bus that was set on fire.
He said dozens of people had taken part in the attack, but
police had only identified two prime suspects who were believed
to have incited the incident, in which Stefen Wagiyu, 29, a bus
driver, was killed, and his crew member, Ismail, 47, was injured.
Five passengers were also hurt in the attack.
In the incident, which took place on Monday afternoon, an
angry mob consisting of dozens of people armed with iron bars and
machetes stopped Stefen's bus and attacked him, his crew and all
the passengers travelling in the vehicle. The angry mob then set
the minibus on fire.
Stefen died at the scene with stab wounds to his body and
head, while his crew member and five passengers were injured.
The incident caused heavy traffic jams for several hours in
the area and also left many passengers stranded, as a number of
minibuses passed through Jl. Balekambang to avoid the traffic
congestion.
Rusidi said the incident was triggered by the dissatisfaction
of bus drivers with one of the T-53 bus owners, named H. Kastan,
who had added a new vehicle to his existing fleet of five.
"He had been warned two times not to add another new bus, but
he insisted on doing so. That infuriated many bus drivers,"
Rusidi explained.
Rusidi said the situation on Jl. Condet Raya had returned to
normal on Tuesday.
"All buses serving the route resumed their operations today,"
he said.