A devastating overnight fire in Indonesia’s easternmost Papua region has killed 11 people, including six children, after flames swept through a market and nearby buildings in Central Papua province.
The fire broke out shortly after midnight on Monday in the town of Paniai and rapidly spread through tightly packed shops and residential structures, according to local police. Authorities said the blaze continued for more than three hours before it was brought under control.
Local police spokesman Henry Manurung said officers discovered the victims during an inspection of the affected area after the fire. All 11 had suffered fatal burn injuries, with five adults and six children among those killed.
The children were between two and nine years old, according to Manurung, adding to the scale of the tragedy in the market area.
At least 40 kiosks and houses were destroyed in the blaze. Firefighters deployed fire trucks and water cannons to battle the flames, but the density of the buildings made it difficult for emergency crews to contain the fire quickly.
“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,” Manurung said.
Cause of fire remains under investigation
Authorities had not determined what started the fire as of Monday, with police continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deadly outbreak.
The rapid spread of the flames was aided by the close proximity of the market stalls and houses, according to police. The structures were packed tightly together, leaving firefighters with a difficult task as they attempted to prevent the blaze from moving through the area.
The destruction left dozens of kiosks and homes damaged or completely destroyed, while authorities continued examining the scene to establish how the fire began.
Police confirmed the deaths after inspecting the affected area and recovering the victims. The investigation is expected to focus on the circumstances immediately before the fire was detected and what may have allowed it to spread so rapidly.
Fatal fires remain a recurring danger
The tragedy in Paniai adds to a series of deadly fires and industrial incidents that have occurred in Indonesia.
In December, a fire at a seven-storey office building in Central Jakarta killed 22 people. Police said at the time that an exploding drone battery on the ground floor was the likely cause of that incident.
The Jakarta fire demonstrated the potentially devastating consequences of fires in densely occupied buildings, particularly when flames and smoke spread through structures before occupants can escape.
Indonesia has also experienced deadly industrial accidents in recent years. In 2023, an explosion at a nickel-processing plant in the eastern part of the country killed at least 12 people.
The latest fire in Paniai, however, occurred in a market and residential setting, where the close arrangement of kiosks and houses contributed to the difficulty firefighters faced in containing the flames.
For families affected by Monday’s disaster, the immediate tragedy is the loss of 11 lives, including six children aged as young as two. Authorities are continuing their investigation while the full extent of the destruction caused by the overnight fire is assessed.
Indonesia Market Fire Kills 11, Including Six Children, in Papua
