Dozens hurt in asylum-seeker firebomb attack at Melbourne bank, by Rebecca Urban.

Two people were today fighting for their lives and dozens of wounded recovering after an asylum-seeker who arrived by boat three years ago allegedly ignited a container of petrol inside a Melbourne bank.

The 21-year-old man was under police guard in Melbourne’s The Alfred hospital, believed to be in a critical condition, after being found cowering, wounded and badly burnt in an alley behind the bank.

The ­man, who is understood to have arrived by boat at Christmas Island in 2013 and had been living in the community on a bridging visa, ­allegedly set himself alight inside the Springvale branch of the Commonwealth Bank in the city’s southeast shortly before midday, sparking an explosion and fire that swept through the building. ..

“This guy just came into the bank and poured petrol and started lighting up.”

Motive?

Police do not believe the man’s actions were terror-related, although there might have been political elements at play.

However, The Weekend Australian understands that the ­accused, who had made an asylum claim and came from Myanmar, was not facing deportation. He was eligible to apply for a Temporary Protection Visa, but he had not done so.

Sources claim he had been well behaved while in detention and there was no history of mental ­illness.

UPDATE: Possible motive:

On Friday, asylum-seeker Nur Islam entered a bank and injured dozens when he set himself on fire. Reportedly, Islam was angry because his welfare payment was late. His friends said he was struggling financially but apparently had sufficient funds to send money back to his country of origin. Consistent with PC thought, refugee activists refused to hold Islam responsible.

hat-tip Stephen Neil