Police have described an horrific event in the Brisbane suburb of Moorooka this morning in which a 29-year-old bus driver was set on fire and killed as “a senseless and needless act”. Terrorism has been ruled out at this stage.
Superintendent Jim Keogh has just spoken with the media and confirmed that a 48-year-old man is in police custody and assisting with enquiries.
The event, he says, occurred at 9am this morning (Friday) as the bus pulled into a kerb near a local shopping centre to collect passengers. A man who was waiting at the bus stop proceeded to pour flammable liquid over the driver and set him on fire.
“The fire was substantial,” Supt Keogh said at the conference which was live-streamed. “It was intense.
“The passengers (six of them) were lucky to get off the bus, lucky the whole bus didn’t get engulfed in flames. The passengers are visibly shaken and traumatised and considering themselves lucky to escape injury or death.”
Supt Keogh says the act seems random and without motive, but everything will be investigated.
He added that smoke inhalation was sustained by some of the passengers and the 48-year-old man assisting police with enquiries sustained minor burns.
WATCH: Supt Keogh talk to media about this horrific incident.
More to come…
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