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Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on early Monday that the riot in a local district involving hundreds of foreign workers on Sunday evening was "a very grave incident."
"Whatever events may have sparked the rioting, there is no excuse for such violent, destructive, and criminal behavior," Lee wrote on his Facebook page.
"We will spare no effort to identify the culprits and deal with them with the full force of the law," he said.
The riot in Little India, an ethnic neighborhood in southern Singapore known for its Indian culture, broke out on Sunday evening after a private bus hit a 33-year-old Indian national in a fatal accident.
Some 400 people, believed to be mainly South Asian workers, turned violent as emergency personnel dealt with the accident at the scene.
The police said 5 police vehicles and 1 ambulance were damaged in the riot, which has been rare in Singapore over the past four decades.
Several other private vehicles were also damaged.
Some 300 police officers were sent to the scene and quickly had control over the situation.
Authorities arrested 27 foreign nationals in connection with the riot and said more arrests are expected in the coming hours or days.
The police said 10 police officers were injured. Seven were in hospital and most of them were understood to be in a stable condition.
The police said officers did not fire a single shot during the riot.
Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean said the government "will not tolerate such lawless behavior," urging the public to stay calm and not to speculate on this incident.
