Malaysian police have arrested seven suspects, aged between 11 and 18, in connection with a fire at a religious school in Kuala Lumpur that killed 21 students and two teachers. The blaze, the deadliest in the country in two decades, broke out early Thursday at the Tahfiz Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah school.
The victims are believed to have been trapped in a dormitory, with metal bars on the windows blocking their escape. Police said the fire started in the sleeping quarters at around 05:40 local time on Thursday.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Amar Singh told a press conference that two gas cylinders had been brought up from the kitchen. He stated that there had been “teasing” between the school boys and the suspects before the fire was started.
Mr Singh said the suspects could face murder charges, but added: “The intention was to burn, but it could be because of their age or because of their maturity levels, perhaps they may not have known that it would cause deaths.” The suspects have been remanded in custody for seven days.
