23 dead in fire at religious school in Kuala Lumpur

KUALA LUMPUR: Twenty-three people died after a fire broke out at the Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah tahfiz (religious) school on Thursday morning. Among the victims were 21 students of the school, age ranging from 6 to 16, and two teachers, age 25 and 26. The City Fire and Rescue Department received information on the blaze at about 5:00 am.

According to The Star, City police chief Comm Datuk Amar Singh said charred remains of the victims were found piled on top of one another in the room on the top floor of the three-storey building. “The fire is believed to have started right at the door of the room preventing any chance of escape,” he told reporters at the scene. He said the absence of hinged grills on the second floor was also one of the causes of the victims being trapped in the room. Twelve students and two teachers managed to escape the fire and those with injuries were sent to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital for treatment. The fire is still under investigation and initial police report said it may have been caused by a short circuit or burning of a mosquito coil.