Indonesia market fire kills 11, including six children

A market fire in Indonesia’s easternmost Papua region killed 11 people, including six children, after flames tore through tightly packed kiosks and houses, police said.

The fire broke out shortly after midnight on Monday in Paniai, Central Papua province. It quickly spread to several shophouses, according to local police spokesman Henry 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. He said the children were between two and nine years old.

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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.

The blaze raged for more than three hours and destroyed at least 40 kiosks and houses. Firefighters deployed trucks and water cannons, but the tightly packed buildings and the intensity of the flames slowed the response.

“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 continued investigating the cause of the fire.

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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.