TWO of the seven teenagers arrested over the tahfiz school fire that claimed the lives of 23 people will be charged with murder tomorrow, said Kuala Lumpur police.

Six of them will also be charged under the Dangerous Drugs Act, said Kuala Lumpur chief police officer Amar Singh.

The seven suspects reportedly do not attend school. Six of them tested positive for drug abuse.

The suspects, between the ages of 11 and 18, were arrested after the school hostel in Kampung Datuk Keramat was set fire to early on September 14.

The tahfiz dormitory residents were trapped, resulting in 21 students and two wardens found dead in the fire.

Amar had said earlier that investigations had revealed that the motive of the seven boys in allegedly starting the fire was a teasing match between them and the tahfiz students that got out of hand.

The Kuala Lumpur police chief had also confirmed that one of the suspects was the person caught on closed-circuit television cameras on the adjacent Muslim Consumers Association building.

Fire and Rescue Department director-general Wan Mohd Nor Ibrahim had said investigators found clues and evidence pointing to arson at the Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah tahfiz school.

He said the fire started at the main entrance to the dormitory at the third level of the building.

Investigators also detected traces of petrol on the wall, towel and shoe rack and cupboard near the entrance.

He said two gas cylinders found at the entrance also helped spread the fire.

“It spread quickly because of that (gas cylinders), killing the people within a short time,” Wan Mohd had said. – AFP, September 27, 2017.