18 people have been announced dead after a karaoke bar incident that took place in Indonesia’s West Papua following a brawl between two rival gangs of youths in the area.
One person was fatally stabbed in the fight early on Tuesday before the venue was set ablaze with 17 people trapped inside, a police official stated.
A spokesman for West Papua police, Adam Erwini told Metro TV, “Fights among youths in cities are normal, but that it has caused so many deaths, that is a first.”
Adam said it was unclear initially unclear if the death toll would rise because of the curiosity that spun around how the fire started in the first place.
Separately, Dedi Prasetyo, a spokesman for Indonesia’s national police said the rival gangs participating in the brawl were from the neighboring island of Maluku.
“The clash broke out last night (Monday) at 11PM. It was a prolonged conflict from a clash on Saturday”, a statement by Sorong police chief Ary Nyoto Setiawan.
“We found 17 bodies in Double O, they were all found on the second floor. We have evacuated the bodies to Selebe Solo Hospital,” said by Edward Panjaitan, head of Sorong Police’s Health Division.
TV images from local Indonesian media outlets displayed a blackened building behind police lines and several burnt street objects as well as cars.
Police are still investigating the cause of the fire.
