A devastating fire in Indonesia’s easternmost Papua region has killed 11 people, including six children, after flames swept through a market and nearby buildings on Monday.
The fire broke out shortly after midnight in Paniai, a town in 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 six children were between two and nine years old, he added.
The blaze lasted for more than three hours and destroyed at least 40 kiosks and houses. Firefighters deployed fire trucks and water cannons to contain the flames, but the tightly packed structures made the operation difficult.
“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,” Henry said.
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine what caused the deadly fire.
Fatal fires are relatively common in Indonesia, where densely packed buildings and markets can make it difficult for emergency responders to control rapidly spreading flames.
In December, 22 people were killed when a fire engulfed a seven-storey office building in Central Jakarta. Police said a drone battery that exploded on the ground floor was the likely cause.
Earlier, in 2023, an explosion at a nickel-processing plant in eastern Indonesia killed at least 12 people.
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