Woman's death sparks retaliation

DENPASAR, Bali: An angry mob set fire to an intercity bus a few hours after it was involved in an accident which killed a woman on Tuesday evening.

The bus was plying the Surabaya-Denpasar route when it collided with a truck at Gumbrih village, Jembrana, around 80 kilometers west of here.

A pedestrian, Ni Made Tirta, 40, happened to be near the location and was fatally hit by the bus. Driver Muhtoyib, 30, was severely injured and immediately taken to hospital.

"Several hours later, after realizing that a villager had died in the accident, a mob began to assemble and attacked and burnt the empty bus," Bali Police Spokesman, Supt. Suyatmo said on Wednesday.

A representative of the bus company at Ubung Bus Station, Slamet said the company had to suspend eight routes on Tuesday night as drivers feared further retaliation.

Normal services were resumed on Wednesday morning. (zen)