Blaze at Malaysia school kills 23, mostly children

People stand on the street after a fire at a religious school in Jalan Datuk Keramat, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday. Photo by Fazry Ismail/EPA-EFE

Sept. 14 (UPI) — Nearly two dozen people were killed in a fire that ravaged a Malaysian school on Thursday, authorities said.

The blaze started at the Tahfiz Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah near Kuala Lumpur, killing 23.

Most of the dead were children between the ages of 11 and 17. Two teachers also died, officials said.

Authorities said Thursday they are working to identify the victims.

“The Disaster Victim Identification unit is currently taking samples from parents before being checked, and then matched with the body for identification. We’re now using all our expertise and hope to settle this as soon as possible,” Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said.

Some victims were injured but 14 students survived the fire, officials said.

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