A rare riot broke out in Singapore's Little India neighbourhood last night, apparently after a Bangladeshi worker was hit and killed by a bus, a local television channel reported.
Channel News Asia showed dramatic pictures of burning vehicles and people attacking the windshield of a bus with sticks and garbage bins. It was not clear if anyone was injured in the rioting that began late in the evening.
Such violence is unheard of in Singapore, an orderly and modern city-state known for strict punishments and generally law-abiding citizens.
In a statement, police confirmed that rioting took place but gave no details. It only said police were on the scene in Little India, an area popular among Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Nepali expatriates. It has scores of restaurants, grocery shops and a mall selling food and other items for people from those countries. On Sundays, the area is especially crowded with South Asian workers.
A witness, Dharmendra Yadav, told Channel News Asia that at least two vehicles were on fire, and that rubbish and broken bottles were strewn on the streets. He said he and many others were in a nearby Hindu temple attending a wedding when temple officials received a call from the police asking that the gates be locked and the guests stay inside until given clearance by the police.
