Raw: Fire Kills 23 In Malaysia School Dormitory

(14 Sep 2017) Malaysian authorities were investigating the cause of a fire early Thursday that blocked the only exit of an Islamic dormitory on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, killing 23 people, most of them teenagers. Firefighters and witnesses described scenes of horror - first of boys screaming for help behind barred windows as neighbors watched helplessly, and later of burned bodies huddled in corners of the room. Islamic teacher Arif Mawardy said he woke up to what he thought was a thunderstorm, only to realize it was the sound of people screaming. Firefighters rushed to the scene after receiving a distress call at 5:41 a.m. and took an hour to put out the blaze, which started on the top floor of the three-story building, Kuala Lumpur police chief Amar Singh said. Singh said 23 charred bodies were recovered - 21 boys between the ages of 13 and 17 and two teachers. Find out more about AP Archive: Twitter: Facebook: ​​ Instagram: You can license this story through AP Archive: