Fire Scorched 9 Shophouses And 5 Boarding Houses In Asmat, South Papua Allegedly Due To Gas Cylinder Explosion

ASMAT - Police suspect that the gas cylinder exploded because of the fire which scorched nine shop houses and five plots of boarding houses in Agats District, Asmat Regency, South Papua.

Asmat Police Chief AKBP Agus Hariadi said the Asmat Police Criminal Investigation Unit had conducted a crime scene (TKP) investigation around the fire area to collect evidence.

"Then the statements of the witnesses were added, so that it can be ascertained the causes and losses caused by the fire," he said in a press release received Thursday, June 8, which was confiscated by Antara.

Agus said that the alleged gas cylinder exploded, triggering the fire on Tuesday, June 6, and was still waiting for the deepening of the results of the crime scene of the Asmat Police Criminal Investigation Unit.

The Head of Public Relations of the Papua Police, Kombes Ignatius Benny Ady Prabowo, explained that based on witness statements, the fire occurred at around 09.30 WIT, preceded by the sound of an explosion at one of the shophouses.

"Not long after that, thick black smoke appeared along with the fire that spread to other buildings," he said.

The witness who saw the incident then called the residents to help extinguish the fire. Ignatius said residents then reported the incident to the police.

"So that the security forces together with the community put out the fire with makeshift tools until 10.56 WIT the fire was successfully extinguished," he said.