A fire that tore through a market in Indonesia’s easternmost Papua region has killed 11 people, including six children, police said.
The blaze was first reported shortly after midnight in Paniai, Central Papua province, before rapidly spreading to several shophouses, according to local police spokesman Henry J. Manurung.
“During the inspection, officers found 11 victims who had died with burn injuries. Of the 11 victims, five of them were adults, while the other six were children,” Henry said in a statement.
The children were between two and nine years old, he added.
The fire burned for more than three hours and destroyed at least 40 kiosks and houses despite efforts by firefighters using fire trucks and water cannons.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the blaze.
Henry said the tightly packed arrangement of houses and stalls made it difficult for firefighters to contain the flames.
“The intensity of the blaze and the fact that the houses and stalls were all packed tightly together made the firefighting process take quite a long time,” he said.
Deadly Fires Remain Common
Deadly fires are not uncommon in Indonesia.
In December, 22 people were killed when a fire swept through a seven-storey office building in Central Jakarta. Police said an exploding drone battery on the ground floor was the likely cause.
In 2023, an explosion at a nickel-processing plant in eastern Indonesia killed at least 12 people.
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