THE fire that killed 23 people at Pusat Tahfiz Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah in Jalan Datuk Keramat, Kuala Lumpur, this morning could have been caused by mischief, the fire department said, dismissing the earlier theory that it was caused by an electrical short circuit.

Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department director Khirudin Drahman said the intensity of the fire suggested that it could not have been caused by a short circuit.

Bernama quoted Khirudin as saying that forensic findings and the Energy Commission confirmed that the electricity circuit from the school building’s main switch was in good condition.

He said the department is investigating the possibility that the fire was caused by mischief.

“It was not from a short circuit. If it was, the fire will need about 30 minutes to grow that big,” he told The Malaysian Insight, adding that this blaze spread very quickly.

Khirudin said initial investigations were based on the account of a student who escaped, suggesting that the fire started outside the dormitory before it engulfed the whole second floor.

The fire department was also looking at why two cooking gas cylinders were found in front of the door leading into the dorm.

Khirudin did not want to comment if the gas cylinders, which were at the main entrance of the school, caused the fire, saying that was still being investigated.

“The information from the student was that the others were trapped and could not escape through the only door because the fire was too strong.

“So they opted for the windows. They had to break through the grilles. They also said that they heard a hissing sound coming from the blaze at the door,” said Khirudin.

He said a forensics team had retrieved the gas cylinders for investigations.

“We have collected evidence and investigators are going through it at the lab,” said Khirudin, adding that the building had been cordoned off for further investigations. – September 14, 2017.