Manatuto, Timor-Leste, May 29, 2019 (Lusa) – A fire, possibly caused by an electrical problem, destroyed the market in the Timorese village of Manatuto, about 68 kilometers east of the capital, Dili.

“Fortunately there were no casualties to register,” Timorese fire chief Cláudio Silva told Lusa.

“It was totally burned, people lost a lot, there was only destruction of property,” he said.

Cláudio Silva added that the first information indicates that the fire was caused by an electric short circuit.

The fire started around 8:00 pm on Tuesday (12:00 pm on Tuesday in Lisbon), and quickly spread to almost all market structures, built of wood and zinc, with no suitable means in the area for combat.