Blaze on Gili Trawangan Leaves Six Tourist Businesses Destroyed

A major fire broke out on the island of Gili Trawangan on the morning of 12 March in a coastal tourist area. The fire started at around 06:30 local time and was brought under control by 09:00. According to official information, there were no fatalities.

The fire damaged six commercial properties, including Sama Sama Reggae Bar, Gili Mart, Ocean 2, Hello Capitano, Manta Dive and Diversia. The flames spread very quickly: there are many wooden buildings in this part of the island with roofs made of dry natural materials, and the wind only fuelled the fire. One employee of Sama Sama Bar suffered a hand injury while trying to save belongings.

The cause of the fire is still being determined. Police are currently considering a short circuit as a preliminary explanation, but stress that the investigation is ongoing and there are no final conclusions yet.

Gili Trawangan is the largest and most visited of the three Gili Islands off the north-west coast of Lombok. The island largely depends on tourism: it is home to hotels, bars, shops and dive centres, and people mostly get around on foot, by bicycle and in horse-drawn carts.

Source: mataram.antaranews.com