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Crowd Battles Police In Singapore District | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
SINGAPORE — A crowd set fire to vehicles and clashed with the police in the Indian district of Singapore late on Sunday, a rare outbreak of violence in the city-state. | SINGAPORE — A crowd set fire to vehicles and clashed with the police in the Indian district of Singapore late on Sunday, a rare outbreak of violence in the city-state. |
According to various reports, the disturbance began after a private bus struck and killed a foreign worker in the Little India area. Television footage showed a crowd of people smashing the windshield of a bus, and at least three police cars being flipped over. | According to various reports, the disturbance began after a private bus struck and killed a foreign worker in the Little India area. Television footage showed a crowd of people smashing the windshield of a bus, and at least three police cars being flipped over. |
The Singapore police said the trouble started after a fatal traffic accident. “Shortly after, a riot broke out involving a crowd of about 400 subjects where the subjects damaged five police vehicles and one ambulance,” the police said in a statement, adding that about 10 officers were injured. | The Singapore police said the trouble started after a fatal traffic accident. “Shortly after, a riot broke out involving a crowd of about 400 subjects where the subjects damaged five police vehicles and one ambulance,” the police said in a statement, adding that about 10 officers were injured. |
Little India is usually crowded on Sundays, with construction workers from Bangladesh and India gathering on their day off. | |
Violent episodes are rare in Singapore, which has tough laws on rioting that carry a sentence of up to seven years in prison and possible caning. | Violent episodes are rare in Singapore, which has tough laws on rioting that carry a sentence of up to seven years in prison and possible caning. |
“This is a serious incident which has resulted in injuries and damage to public property,” said Teo Chee Hean, deputy prime minister and minister of home affairs. | |
The disturbance is likely to fuel concerns about discontent among low-paid foreign workers. Last year Singapore had its biggest outbreak of labor unrest in years when bus drivers from China went on strike illegally. |