Riots Break Out Near Taj Mahal

Deaths of 4 Muslims sends Agra into chaos; officials order tourists off the streets
By Colleen Barry,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 30, 2007 8:09 AM CDT
Riots Break Out Near Taj Mahal
Trucks set ablaze by angry residents go up in flames in Agra, India, early Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2007. Mobs in the northern Indian city that is home to the Taj Mahal set fire to more than a dozen vehicles and blocked roads after a truck crushed four men to death early Wednesday, police said.(AP Photo)   (Associated Press)

Riots broke out in northern India yesterday after four Muslim youths were crushed to death by a truck while participating in a religious festival. Agra, home to the Taj Mahal, was under a curfew after cars were torched, 50 officers were injured by protesters throwing rocks, and one civilian was killed, Bloomberg reports.

The state-controlled news service said police fired their guns into the air to disperse rioters. Police from nearby towns are patrolling the streets, and schools and colleges have been ordered closed for 3 days. A politician said the dead civilian was standing on a roof and may have been hit by a bullet. (More Agra stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X