Angry crowd set fire to bus over fatal accident

Dozens of angry people burned down a public bus that had hit a motorcycle in Ngawi, East Java on Saturday, killing one of its riders.

Prior to the arson attack, the crowd smashed windshields of the Sumber Kencono intercity bus plying the route between Surabaya and Yogyakarta, causing its passengers to flee.

"The crowd was angry because the bus was speeding when passing the area. They took the law into their hands out of their anger," a local resident said.

Police officers were called to restore order and prevent further act of violence. An officer said the local people had planned to blockade all Sumber Kencono buses passing the region.

The act of violence forced the police to close traffic in the southern route connecting Madiun and Ngawi.

"Cars were rerouted to an alternative route. Only motorcycles are allowed to pass the road," a motorist told Antara news agency.