At least 11 people, including six children, have died after a fire swept through a market and nearby buildings in Indonesia’s eastern Papua region.
The fire broke out shortly after midnight in Paniai, Central Papua province, and quickly spread to several shops and residential buildings, according to local police.
Police spokesperson Henry Manurung said officers found the bodies of 11 victims after the fire was brought under control. Five of the victims were adults, while the remaining six were children aged between two and nine.
The blaze lasted 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 to determine the cause of the fire.
Manurung said the tightly packed arrangement of houses and market stalls made it difficult for firefighters to contain the flames.
Deadly fires are relatively common in Indonesia, where densely populated areas and inadequate fire-safety measures can make it difficult to control outbreaks.
In December, 22 people were killed after a fire swept through a seven-storey office building in Central Jakarta. Police said an exploding drone battery on the ground floor was suspected to have caused the blaze.
In another incident in 2023, an explosion at a nickel-processing plant in eastern Indonesia killed at least 12 people.
