Six children among 11 killed in massive fire in Indonesia’s Papua

A massive fire tore through a market in Indonesia’s easternmost Papua region, killing 11 people, including six children, police said.

The blaze broke out shortly after midnight in Paniai, Central Papua province, and quickly spread through several shophouses, according to local police spokesman Henry J. Manurung, NDTV reports.

“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 water cannons and fire trucks. Authorities were continuing to investigate the cause of the blaze.

“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.

Deadly fires are relatively common in Indonesia, where densely packed buildings and limited access can complicate firefighting operations.

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 another deadly incident, an explosion at a nickel-processing plant in eastern Indonesia in 2023 killed at least 12 people.

By Vafa Guliyeva