First riot in 40 years rocks peaceful Singapore

Twenty seven people have been arrested following the worst case of civil unrest that Singapore has seen in over four decades, local press reported. A mob of approximately 400 foreign workers were involved in the riot late on Sunday evening, sparked by a fatal accident involving a 33-year old Indian national who was run over by a private bus in Little India, a Singaporean district that is home to large amounts of Indian and Bangladeshi foreign workers. 

Ten police officers and four civil defense officers were injured. The crowd of foreign workers swarmed the bus, chasing the driver a Singaporean national and set police vehicles and an ambulance on fire. Read more: Wage-cost worries creep up in Singapore The incident comes amid rising tensions in Singapore, considered one of the world's safest cities, about the recent influx of foreign workers, many of them immigrants from South Asia. The last riots to take place in Singapore were race related in 1969. Following Sunday's riot, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong published a statement on his Facebook page urging local Singaporeans to stay calm.

 "Whatever events may have sparked the rioting, there is no excuse for such violent, destructive, and criminal behavior," he said. Read more: Singapore upgrades growth outlook for the full year Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean stressed to the public that the incident would be dealt with very seriously. "I want to make very clear that the government will not tolerate such lawless behavior. I have asked the police to investigate the matter thoroughly and deal with all aspects of this incident and all persons involved strictly, firmly and fairly according to our law," he said. 

Under Singaporean law, those found guilty of rioting can face a jail term of up to seven years. Rioting with a deadly weapon can lead to imprisonment for up to ten years and in some cases a beating with a cane, according to the Attorney General's Chambers' website. Members of the public took to Twitter to express their shock at the incident.

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