A fire tore through a market in Indonesia's Central Papua province early Monday, killing 11 people, including six children, local police said.

Henry Manurung, a spokesperson for the Central Papua provincial police, said the fire broke out shortly after midnight local time and quickly spread to nearby shophouses, destroying about 40 buildings.

Police deployed a water cannon vehicle to help extinguish the blaze, which was brought under control at around 3:30 a.m.

The size of the fire and the proximity of the buildings meant the extinguishing process took quite a long time, Manurung said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, with police collecting witness statements and examining the scene.