A bus driver was killed when he was deliberately set alight in an attack in Brisbane, local media reported on Friday.
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The driver, an Indian migrant, was the victim of a random attack that has horrified Australians, police believe according to AAP, the Australian news agency.
“Look words escape me, it’s an horrific incident here in a quiet suburb of Moorooka,” said Superintendent Jim Keogh of the Queensland state Police. “A bus driver going about doing his business, supporting the community and has had his life taken from him in what a senseless and needless act.”
The agency named the man as 29-year-old Manmeet Alisher, a passionate singer and well-loved member of Australia’s ex-pat Punjabi community.
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A passenger waiting on a Moorooka footpath climbed onto Mr Alisher’s bus just after Friday morning and hurled an incendiary device at him, engulfing the young man in flames as terrified passengers screamed and fought to escape, AAP reported.
Stewart added that there was nothing to suggest terrorism or racial motivations were a factor in an attack he described as disturbing. He did say counter-terrorism authorities were involved in the murder investigation as a “precaution”.
“I want to assure you that there is no evidence at this time of any linkage to terrorist type activities and certainly that has not become evident through the ongoing investigations that have occurred,” he said.
A 48-year-old man was cooperating with detectives since his arrest at the scene, according to AAP, and is being treated for burns in the Princess Alexandra Hospital.
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Passengers and witnesses said children and women on board the bus were screaming as the incident unfolded.
“Yeah, I did break the back door yeah to open it yeah and then they start coming out and unfortunately I couldn’t go inside because it was fumes inside, it was smokey,” said taxi driver Aguek Nyok. “You wouldn’t even think of going there and the fire was just getting higher and higher.”
Another witness said flaming liquid could be seen flowing from the bus onto the road.
“There was like a lava flow of flame rolling down the gutter like probably about ten metres.”
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