Thursday, February 04, 2010

Shopping trolley bomb wounds 15 in Australia

Fifteen people were wounded on Wednesday when a disgruntled customer ignited a shopping trolley filled with petrol cans and fireworks at a branch of an Australian insurance company, police said.

Witnesses said the man wheeled the makeshift bomb into the insurance office in the northern city of Darwin and set it ablaze, leaving passers-by with cuts, burns and smoke inhalation injuries. Two people were in serious condition.

"Once we cleared the area of smoke we found a shopping trolley with three jerry cans and a strong smell of fuel, and also firecrackers spread throughout the area," a fire and rescue service spokesman said. "The firecrackers were part of what could loosely be called an explosive device."



A man surrendered himself at the nearby Darwin Police Station shortly after the attack and was taken into custody, said Commander Rob Kendrick.

Police ruled out an extremist attack, saying the culprit appeared to be an unhappy customer of the insurance company.

"I can confirm he was a dissatisfied claimant," Commander Colleen Gwynne said. "This is not a terrorist incident.

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