BANGKOK: An angry crowd attacked a police station in a southern Thai resort island and torched nine squad cars after two young men were killed in a police chase, an offical said on Sunday.

Scores of local residents in a small rural town in Phuket island joined the protest, throwing stones and setting fire to police vehicles before they were dispersed early on Sunday.

The incident followed the death of the pair in an apparent crash during a police chase, Phuket governor Chamroen Tipayapon­gtada said without giving further details.

“They torched nine cars — 14 officials were injured and as well as two villagers injured,” he said, adding four policemen have been shifted from their duties to calm the situation.

Phuket is one of Thailand’s most popular tourist destinations but the unrest was not close to areas frequented by visitors.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2015

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