"We don`t know yet (the causes). We are still concentrating on saving the local residents," Chief of Morowali Police Resort Adjunct Senior Commissioner Suhirman said here by phone.
Palu, C Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - Police still don`t know what had triggered Monday`s riot in which an angry mob tried to destroy the offices and other facilities of Pertamina-Medco E&P Tomori Joint Operating Board on Tiaka Island, Morowali district, Central Sulawesi.

"We don`t know yet (the causes). We are still concentrating on saving the local residents," Chief of Morowali Police Resort Adjunct Senior Commissioner Suhirman said here by phone on Monday.

He apologized for not being able yet to provide detailed explanations on the incident because he was still busy organizing his personnel who were evacuating residents and maintaining security on Tiaka Island.

Suhirman only said that the incident began on Sunday but on Monday afternoon all of a sudden hundreds of people from mainland Mamosalato entered the island by motor boats and began vandalizing the joint oil companies` facilities.

"They were armed with machetes, spears, sickles and molotov cocktails. They then vandalized the company`s offices and facilities," he said.

The angry mobs also pelted an oil well in the area with molotov cocktails causing it to catch fire.

Police also evacuated residents from Tiaka Island following the rioting in which angry mobs tried to destroy the oil well.

The situation was still tense and Suhirman said he still did not know whether there were casualties in the incident.

In the meantime, ANTARA News correspondent reported from Luwuk that the Luwuk General Hospital was alerted to receive patients who had become victims in the rioting in Tiaka.

"We have received information that one victim died on his way to hospital but the body will still be taken to Luwuk for an autopsy," a source who refused to be named said.

So far, there were no reports on what had triggered the rioting on the island.

Tiaka Island is located in Mamosalato subdistrict, Morowali district. It is in a border area between Morowali and Banggai, so that it is more accessible from Luwuk, Banggai district`s capital.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2011