Police Investigate Fire At Perum Paniki Manado Market Which Scorched 140 Kiosks

Police conducted an investigation into the cause of the fire at the traditional market of Perum Paniki Manado, North Sulawesi (Sulut) that occurred early Tuesday (ANTARA)

MANADO - The police conducted an investigation into the cause of the fire at the traditional market of Perum Paniki Manado, North Sulawesi (Sulut) that occurred, Tuesday morning. The fire scorched 140 stalls.

"A temporary investigation is being carried out and until now there have been no reports of casualties," said Head of Public Relations of the North Sulawesi Police (North Sulawesi) Kombes Jules Abraham Abast in Manado, quoted by Antara, Tuesday, February 16.

Abast said that although it is still being investigated, the material loss due to the fire is estimated at billions of rupiah.

When the market fire occurred, the North Sulawesi Police Mobile Brigade's Armored Water Cannon (AWC) helped extinguish the fire.

The fire caused about 140 stalls belonging to traders to be burned.

The market, which is located in Kelurahan Paniki Dua Lingkungan III Manado, caught fire on Tuesday at around 12:15 WITA.

A moment later, the joint officers of the North Sulawesi Regional Police's Satbrimob, the Manado City Government Fire Service and the North Sulawesi Provincial Government arrived at the scene of the case and immediately put out the flames. At around 02.30 WITA, the fire was successfully extinguished.

Meanwhile, the personnel of the Mapanget Police were directly led by the Kapolsek, securing the crime scene and gathering information and helping to evacuate items belonging to traders that could still be saved.

The incident was first discovered by the local market security officer, 68-year-old Marthen Supit, when carrying out the watch schedule. Suddenly the witness heard an explosion and immediately looked for the source of the sound.

Not long after, the witness found a flames behind the stall belonging to Onya Tujuwale. The fire quickly spread to other stalls. The witness explained that the Onya stall was selling groceries and 3 kg LPG.

Meanwhile, the owner of the kiosk, Onya Tujuwale, said that since Monday, February 15 morning, the electricity in his kiosk was unstable, and at night it was reported to PLN.

However, because it was raining that night, repairs would be made the next day.

He said that initially he did not know about the incident, until he received information via telephone from fellow traders that his kiosk and several other stalls were on fire.