A fire destroys a market in Indonesia’s eastern Papua region, killing 11 people, including six children, police say.
The blaze breaks out shortly after midnight on Monday in Paniai, Central Papua province, and quickly spreads through tightly packed shops and houses.
Police spokesman Henry J Manurung says officers discover the victims during an inspection of the affected area.
“During the inspection, officers found 11 victims who had died with burn injuries,” Mr Manurung says.
He says five of the victims are adults while the other six are children aged between two and nine.
The fire rages for more than three hours, destroying at least 40 kiosks and houses despite efforts by firefighters using water cannons and fire trucks.
Mr Manurung says the closely packed buildings make it difficult for firefighters to contain the blaze.
“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,” he says.
Authorities are investigating what caused the fire.
Deadly fires are relatively common in Indonesia. Last year, 22 people died after a fire tore through a seven-storey office building in Central Jakarta. Police said an exploding drone battery on the ground floor was the likely cause.
Three years ago, at least 12 people also died in an explosion at a nickel-processing plant in eastern Indonesia.
