At least 18 people were killed during clashes between two groups at a club in the town of Sorong in West Papua province, police said Tuesday, with most dying after the night spot caught fire in the violence.

"The clash broke out last night (Monday) at 11 pm. It was a prolonged conflict from a clash on Saturday," Sorong police chief Ary Nyoto Setiawan said in a statement.

One victim was stabbed and 17 more died in the blaze at the "Double O" nightclub, officials said.

"We found 17 bodies in Double O, they were all found on the second floor. We have evacuated the bodies to Selebe Solu Hospital," said Sorong Police's health division head Edward Panjaitan.

Police were investigating the cause of the fire.

"The club was burnt from the first floor. We tried to evacuate as many people as possible, but after the firefighters extinguished the fire this morning, we found some bodies there," police chief Setiawan said.

TV images from local media showed a building blackened by the fire behind a police line and burnt cars.

Source:
courtesy of THE JAKARTA POST

by AFP

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