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Fatal pickup truck crash sparks riot
A riot broke out Tuesday on the second day of Idul Fitri after six motorcycle riders were killed by a speeding pickup truck in Batam, Riau Islands
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riot broke out Tuesday on the second day of Idul Fitri after six motorcycle riders were killed by a speeding pickup truck in Batam, Riau Islands. The crash left two others in critical condition.
The incident enraged locals, who began throwing items at passing vehicles. Tensions were calmed only after police deployed officers to the scene.
Barelang Traffic Police law enforcement chief Comr. Bambang Harleyanto told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday that the motorcyclists were headed toward Melur beach on Galang Island when a pickup truck driving in the opposite direction collided with them head-on.
'The pickup truck driver has been detained and is being treated at the hospital. The Barelang road is actually a very quiet road, but vehicles tend to speed there,' he said.
Bambang noted that the number of traffic accidents decreased this year compared to accidents during Idul Fitri last year. He also said that the Barelang road was usually not prone to accidents because not many vehicles went through the area.
The two injured motorcyclists, Rajab and Isran, are in critical condition and are being treated at Embung Fatimah hospital in Batam.
