The man accused of setting himself alight in a Commonwealth Bank branch in Springvale, Victoria – causing an explosion which injured 26 bystanders – is still in a critical condition in intensive care, as Premier Daniel Andrews calls for calm.
Suspect Nur Islam has yet to be interviewed by police due to the severity of his injuries. The Age reports that he is an asylum seeker and member of Myanmar‘s Muslim-minority Rohingya population, and that he arrived in Australia by boat as an unaccompanied minor.
Andrews stressed that this appeared to be a tragedy, and not terrorism. “This is a tragedy,” he said. “Nothing more, nothing less.”
“There is nothing to suggest that there is a link between these terrible acts and any terrorist, or any of the ideology you might associate with terrorism.”
It is believed that Islam had been struggling with mental health issues over the past weeks, and that he had difficulty accessing Centrelink payments.
One of the people injured in the attack remains in a serious but stable condition, a further three are stable and one has been discharged. Islam himself was most severely injured. If he survives his injuries, he will face charges of arson and attempted murder.
Source: The Age.
Photo: Getty Images.
