Tragic! Elderly Woman Dies in Veg Stall Fire in Manggarai

An elderly resident, Melania Ganu of Wae Buka, Satar Tacik, Langke Rembong District, Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara, died after being trapped in a fire that swept through her vegetable stall this morning. The victim was found dead among the rubble with her body burned. The blaze consumed two vegetable stalls and a motorcycle workshop.

“From on-site checks, officers found the victim dead in the debris of the stalls, with her body burned to ashes,” said Public Relations Head of Manggarai Police AKP Gusti Putu Saba Nugraha, on Thursday (21 May 2026).

The two vegetable stalls that burned were semi-permanent structures with plasterboard and wooden walls and earthen floors. The motorcycle workshop was a permanent building measuring about 4.10 by 4.30 metres, with a concrete floor, brick walls, and a corrugated iron roof.

In addition to selling vegetables, Melania was known to sell gasoline in small quantities from within the stall. The gasoline was stored near the cooking area using a stove.

The conditions are suspected to have triggered the fire. The stove fire is believed to have ignited the gasoline around the cooking area, causing the blaze to spread rapidly.

“Based on preliminary identification at the scene and witness statements, the temporary suspected cause of the fire originates from the stove catching fire to the gasoline near the cooking location, triggering the blaze to spread quickly,” explained Gusti.

Following initial on-site assessment, Manggarai Police evacuated the victim’s body to RSUD Ruteng for medical examination.

“External examination by Dr. Maria Megilda Bosri of RSUD Ruteng concluded that the victim suffered 100 percent burns across the body as a result of the fire,” said Gusti.

In addition to the death, the blaze also destroyed several motorcycles and vehicle parts inside the workshop.

“Inside the workshop, a motorcycle frame and several vehicle parts were found to have been completely burned,” explained Gusti.