A nightlife club in the province of West Papua burns after a clash between two local groups inside that leaves 19 dead, say the Indonesian authorities
A nightclub in West Papua province burned down after a clash between two local groups inside left 19 dead, Indonesian authorities said Tuesday.
Members of the two groups attacked each other with machetes, arrows and firebombs, National Police spokesman Ahmad Ramadhan told a news conference.
One of the dead belonged to one of the clashing groups, and 18 other bodies were discovered after Monday night’s fire at the Sorong city club.
Monday’s incident followed another clash on Saturday between the same groups due to a misunderstanding, said the city’s police chief, Ary Nyoto Setiawan.
“We called them and mediated between them, but they continued the confrontation until late at night,” Setiawan added.
Although police evacuated patrons from the bar during the fight, firefighters later found 18 bodies inside one of the building’s rooms, the official said.
Police are still investigating the causes of the crash and whether the fire was accidental or arson.