Medan – Hundreds of people burned vehicles, houses and warehouses in Indonesia's north Sumatran town of Porsea following a dispute over logging with rayon company PT Inti Indorayon, witnesses said on Wednesday. There were no reports of casualties in the violence, which occurred on Tuesday, the witnesses said.

Violence broke out when police tried to disperse hundreds of protesters who had blocked the main road leading to a mill owned by the company, they said. The crowd was protesting against what they said was the company's resumption of logging on Samosir island on scenic Lake Toba despite a commitment last month to stop doing so. Porsea, about 80 miles (130 km) southeast of Medan, is close to Lake Toba, one of Indonesia's premier tourist locations.

The witnesses said 12 vehicles, including two belonging to Indorayon, six houses and two warehouses were set on fire. An official from the company said on Wednesday that crowds had hijacked company trucks and that many of the drivers had been taken hostage. Police in the area were not immediately available for comment.