ADDIS ABABA, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian police have arrested 73 individuals suspected of involvement in a riot earlier this week in the northern Amhara regional state, an Ethiopian official said on Saturday.
Marelijn Wondimu, Chief Public Relations Director of Gonder city police department in Amhara regional state, said the 73 individuals are suspected of involvement in the ransacking of more than 30 business and residential homes in the city earlier this week, reported state media outlet Ethiopia News Agency.
Wondimu said police are conducting preliminary investigation on the suspects to determine the extent of their involvement in the riot and to help bring up criminal charges on the suspects.
He further said police are currently assessing the extent of the financial cost of the riot and called upon the public to refrain from such destructive acts.
Speaking to Xinhua, a resident of Gonder city, said the riot in the city which mostly happened on Monday was triggered by the failure of the city's football club to win the Ethiopian Premier League cup at the final game of the football season.
The Gonder city resident told Xinhua normalcy has returned to the city currently, although there are still underlying tensions.
