Central Papua market blaze kills 11, police deploy special probe teams

Paniai — — A fire at a market in Bapouda village, East Paniai district, Central Papua province, killed 11 people, including six children, in the early hours of Monday, 7 September 2026, according to police statements and local media reports. The blaze swept through the market area and nearby houses and kiosks before firefighters brought it under control several hours later.

Central Papua police said the fire broke out at around 12:25 a.m. local time in the market area of Bapouda village in Paniai Timur district. Officers inspecting the burned buildings later found 11 victims who had died from burn injuries, comprising five adults and six children aged between two and nine years old, according to a police spokesperson quoted by national and regional outlets.

Reports from Jakarta-based and regional media describe heavy damage to market stalls and adjacent homes. One account, citing the Central Papua police, said the fire destroyed about 40 kiosks and houses. Another police-based report from a regional broadcaster stated that 49 buildings in the market area were burned. The discrepancy has not been resolved publicly, but all sources indicate that market structures and surrounding residences were extensively damaged.

Police deploy special investigation teams

Central Papua Police have launched an investigation into the blaze and deployed a combined team to support the local Paniai police, according to a police information portal and Indonesian media reports. The team includes personnel from the criminal investigation directorate, Disaster Victim Identification unit and a forensic laboratory team, police communications staff said.

Investigators are conducting what police described as a scientific examination of the fire scene to determine how the blaze started and the circumstances of the deaths. A police spokesperson urged residents to avoid spreading speculation while the investigation is under way. As of the latest reports, authorities have not announced a cause of the fire or identified any suspect.

Local and national outlets quoting Central Papua police say officers are taking witness statements and reconstructing the timeline of events. Some reports mention that investigators are examining all possibilities, including deliberate causes, but police communications cited in these outlets emphasize that no conclusion has been reached and that inquiries are ongoing.

Victims and displacement

Police and media reports agree that the fire killed 11 people: five adults and six children. According to details published by regional outlets based on police data, the adult victims include a 70-year-old man and four adults in their 20s and 30s, while the children were between two and nine years old. All victims were found in burned houses and kiosks in the market area after the fire was extinguished.

Local media citing police and district officials report that the blaze displaced more than one hundred residents from the market settlement. One outlet, quoting official figures, said 148 people were forced to leave their homes after the fire, with some suffering injuries and receiving treatment at health facilities. Another report from a regional station noted that around 20 people were injured in addition to those killed.

By 3:30 a.m. local time, firefighters had brought the fire under control, according to accounts based on police statements. In the days that followed, regional media reported that the victims were buried together in a mass funeral in Paniai, attended by relatives and local officials. Authorities have said the investigation into the cause of the fire and any possible criminal responsibility is ongoing.

Sources

• The Jakarta Post – "Police launch probe into blaze that killed 11 in Central Papua"
• Indonesian National Police information portal – "Huge Flame Burned a Market in Bapouda, Police to Launch Investigation"
• CNN Indonesia – "Pasar di Paniai Papua Tengah Terbakar, 11 Orang Tewas"
• News.az – "Market fire leaves 11 dead in Indonesia's Papua"
• Kompas TV – "Kebakaran Hebat Pasar Kampung Bapouda Paniai Timur Papua Tengah: 11 Tewas, Polisi Selidiki Penyebab"
• Tribun Papua Tengah – "UPDATE Kebakaran di Paniai: Polda Papua Tengah Terjunkan Tim Khusus Usut Penyebab Kebakaran"
• RRI Nabire – "Sebelas Orang Tewas, Polda Papua Tengah Usut Kebakaran di Pasar Bopauda Paniai"
• Okezone – "Kebakaran Pasar Tewaskan 11 Orang di Papua Tengah, Polisi Dalami Dugaan Keterlibatan KKB"
• Tirto.id – "Kronologi Pasar Bapouda Papua Tengah Terbakar: 6 Anak Tewas"
• Al Jazeera – "Six children among 11 people killed in Indonesian market fire"