A mob in a central town in Azerbaijan torched a hotel and several cars overnight in a rampage provoked by a minor vehicle collision, AP quoted local police as saying Thursday. Ismayilli district police said that several law enforcement officers were injured while trying to restore order overnight. Although the rioting does not appear to have been politically motivated, it highlights widespread frustrations over the deep disparity between the poor and wealthy in the oil-rich former Soviet nation. Trouble began Wednesday night when the owner of a local hotel, 22-year-old Emil Shamsaddinov, reacted to his Chevrolet Camaro sports car veering onto a sidewalk and colliding with an electricity pole by getting into a fight with another motorist, who was parked by the side of the road in a Soviet-era car. It is unclear whether Shamsaddinov held the other driver responsible for the crash, but police say he may have been drunk-driving. Shamsaddinov and his passenger have been arrested, but no rioters have been detained, police said. The dispute spiraled, leading to around 3,000 residents raiding Shamsaddinov's Chyrag hotel and setting alight several of his cars, which included the Camaro, a Chevrolet Niva and a Hummer. Police say the rampage lasted around four hours. In amateur video of burning vehicles and buildings uploaded to the Internet, people in the crowd are heard laughing and cheering. The crowd then moved on to the house of Ismayilli district chief's son where they set fire to a Toyota Land Cruiser and two motorcycles. This is the second major instance of public disorder in the authoritarian former Soviet nation in a few days. On Saturday, market traders blocked a highway 50 kilometers (31 miles) outside the capital, Baku, and clashed with riot police in a spontaneous protest over increased rent for their stalls. Authorities are particularly anxious about any signs of public discontent in view of this October's presidential election, which is expected to see incumbent Ilham Aliyev retain his grip over the Caspian Sea nation.
