11 including 6 children killed in Indonesia fire

At least 11 people, including six children, were killed in a devastating fire in Indonesia's eastern Papua region on Monday, September 6. The fire also destroyed a market and numerous nearby shops and houses.

The blaze broke out after midnight in the city of Paniai, Central Papua province. The densely populated area allowed the fire to spread rapidly to multiple shop houses and stalls.

Local police spokesman Henry J. Manurung said officials and rescue workers recovered 11 charred bodies at the scene. Among the deceased were five adults and six children aged between 2 and 9 years.

Firefighting teams used water cannons and took over three hours to bring the fire under control. At least 40 homes were reduced to ashes. Police have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire.

Officials said the close proximity of homes and shops, combined with the intensity of the blaze, made it difficult to control the fire quickly.

Source: Aljazeera