Jakarta – The Bima Police have named 47 people as suspects in a clash between residents and authorities on Saturday morning in Lambu district, Bima regency, West Nusa Tenggara.

"[The Bima Police] have named 47 suspects but have not yet decided whether to arrest them," National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Saud Usman Nasution said on Sunday as quoted by tempo.co.

Quoting the latest report, he said two people, Arif Rachman and Syaiful, died and 10 others were being treated in a hospital from injuries received in the incident. "That's the [latest] report we've received from the Bima Police," said Usman.

Hundreds of people from the People's Front Against Mining (FRAT) clashed with authorities on Saturday at 7 a.m. local time (6 a.m. Jakarta time), blocking the road to the port. They had been demanding that Bima Regent Ferry Zulkarnaen revoke PT Sumber Mineral Nasional's (SMN) mining permit since Monday.

The road closure caused disruption to the port's traffic between Bima and Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara. Buses and trucks had to wait in a line that stretched up to 3 kilometers.

Local police and West Nusa Tenggara Police Mobile Brigade personnel clashed with the protesters after several failed attempts to disperse them.

The protesters reportedly destroyed the Lambu precinct police station, set fire to the Lumbu police chief's home, four units of a police dormitory and a bank, among other buildings.

West Nusa Tenggara Governor M. Zainul Majdi has asked the regent to review a mining permit issued for SMN in the districts of Lambu and Sape. (mtq)