Badminton
Fire and thick smoke engulf Indonesia Masters venue, play stops
Thick smoke covered the venue after an overhead wire caught fire, disrupting the first semifinal of the tournament.
Istora Senayan, the venue for the Indonesia Masters Super 500
Play stopped at the Indonesia Masters Super 500 on Saturday after the fire broke out at Istora Senayan in Jakarta during the semifinals.
The incident raised questions about players' safety at the event.
According to local media reports, the day's first semifinal match between Zhang Shu Xian-Zheng Yu of China and Jongkolphan Kititharakul-Rawinda Prajongjai of Thailand has been postponed temporarily due to the untoward incident. The players left the court unharmed.
"Due to unforeseen circumstances, play has been temporarily stopped at the Istora Senayan. Play at the DAIHATSU Indonesia Masters 2024 will resume as soon as the matter is resolved," the Badminton World Federation (BWF) wrote on X.
Based on the videos unsurfaced on social media, thick smoke covered the venue after an overhead wire caught fire, disrupting the play.
The BWF, however, has not revealed the exact cause of the smoke and sparks.
However, it is believed that an electrical short circuit could have triggered the incident in the first semifinal match of the Indonesia Masters.
At present, India has no players remaining in the tournament after Kiran George, the last Indian left in the tournament, lost his quarterfinal clash against Kunlavut Vitidsarn on Saturday.
