Six children among 11 killed in market fire

Eleven people, including six children, died after a fire swept through a market in Paniai, in Indonesia’s Central Papua province. The children were between two and nine years old.

The fire was first reported shortly after midnight local time and quickly spread to several commercial buildings, according to Henry J. Manurung, a regional police spokesman. The blaze continued for more than three hours.

“During the inspection, police officers found eleven victims who had died from burn injuries. Of these eleven, five were adults and the other six were children,” Henry said in a statement.

The fire destroyed at least 40 market stalls and houses. Authorities are investigating what caused it.

Deadly fires are not uncommon in Indonesia. In December, 22 people died when a fire broke out in a seven-story office building in central Jakarta. An explosion at a nickel-processing plant in the eastern part of the country killed at least 12 people in 2023.

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During the inspection, police officers found eleven victims who had died from burn injuries. Of these eleven, five were adults and the other six were children.