10 killed when fire rips through crowded Indonesian nightclub; 5 others in critical condition

10 killed when fire breaks out in Indonesian club

SURABAYA, Indonesia — Ten people were killed in a fire that ripped through a packed nightclub in Indonesia’s second largest city early Friday, including a mother and the baby she apparently gave birth to during the tragedy.

An Australian and a Japanese national also were among the dead, said police Lt. Col. Bahagia Dachi. Some witnesses told officers a spark from a cigarette triggered the blaze.

The Redboxx Cafe erupted in flames at 3:30 a.m. as hundreds of people filled the club in downtown Surabaya, some to watch the World Cup football game.

It took firefighters several hours to bring the blaze under control. Dachi said five victims were in critical condition at local hospital.

A mother who apparently gave birth during the fire and the baby were both found dead, he said. Trauma can sometimes induce labor.