Ten people including an Australian and a Japanese resident were killed when a fire ripped through a packed nightclub in Indonesia's second largest city, police said yesterday.

Also, a mother who apparently gave birth during the fire and her baby were both found dead, police said. Trauma can sometimes induce labour.

Lieutenant Colonel Bahagia Dachi said the Redboxx Cafe caught fire at 3.30 a.m. yesterday as hundreds of people filled the club in downtown Surabaya, many to watch the football World Cup. Some witnesses told officers a spark from a cigarette triggered the blaze, which took firefighters several hours to bring under control.

Lt Col Dachi said five victims were in critical condition at local hospital.

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