A bus driver of Indian origin was burned to death behind the steering wheel in Australia's Brisbane on Friday, after a passenger threw an incendiary device at him, The Guardian reported. Officials said it was a random attack and that there was no evidence that it was an effect of terrorism or racism.
Officials said the accused, a 48-year-old man, has been arrested and is undergoing treatment at a local hospital. Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said the country's counter-terrorism unit was investigating the case, along with homicide detectives, as a precautionary measure.
The victim, 29-year-old Manmeet Alisher, was also a popular singer among the Punjabi community in the country. Locals have expressed their shock over his death on social media platforms. According to a report by The Times of India, flags will be flown at half mast across Brisbane on Saturday, as a mark of respect for the victim.
Six passengers, who were trapped in the burning bus, had a narrow escape as a taxi driver in the vicinity broke open the back door of the vehicle to help them escape. The taxi driver, Aguek Nyok, has been hailed as a local hero.
With more than 350 assaults on local bus drivers, the Queensland government had declared an inquiry into bus driver safety around four weeks before the incident, officials said.
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