Roads Rage Sparks Mass Riot

Ismayilli district police said that several law enforcement officers were injured while trying to restore order overnight.

Trouble began when the owner of a local hotel reacted to his sports car veering onto a sidewalk and colliding with an electricity pole. The owner reportedly had an altercation with another driver.

Torching the owner's cars

The dispute spiraled, leading to thousands of residents raiding the hotel and setting alight the owner's cars.

The crowd later assaulted the son of a district official.

Although the rioting does not appear to have been politically motivated, it highlights widespread frustrations over disparity between the poor and wealthy in the oil-rich former Soviet nation.