At least 25 people have died after a fire broke out at a religious (tahfiz) school in Jalan Datuk Keramat early Thursday morning (Sept 14).
The City Fire and Rescue Department said it received information on the blaze at around 5:00a.m.
“Based on our information at the moment, 25 students and teachers have died in the fire. Our personnel are still at the scene,” he said.
In August, The Star reported that the Fire and Rescue Department was concerned about the fire safety measures at unregistered and private religious schools, having recorded 211 fires at such premises since 2015.
Earlier that month, 16 people, including eight students, fled an early morning fire at the family-run Tahfiz Al-Taqwa school in Baling, Kedah. On May 7, another such school in Sabak Bernam, Selangor was destroyed in an early morning fire, but no one was hurt.
On Sept 29, 1989, 27 female students of SAR Taufikiah Al-Halimiah in Kampung Padang Lumat, Kedah, perished when fire gutted the school and eight wooden hostels.
There were 519 tahfiz schools registered nationwide as of April, but many more are believed to be unregistered. (AsiaOne)