Teachers and students killed in Kuala Lumpur school fire

Credit: @FRIENDOFBOMBA via AP

At least 24 students and teachers have been killed in a fire at an Islamic boarding school in Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur.

The fire broke out in the early hours of Thursday morning and took firefighters an hour to extinguish the blaze.

Local police said most of the victims were boys aged between 13 and 17 and that six others are in hospital in a critical condition.

Most of the windows had metal bars across them. Credit: AP

The fire broke out near the door of the boys' dormitory, trapping the victims as it was the only entrance and the windows have metal bars over them, said officials.

It is believed the cause of the blaze was believed to be a short-circuit.

Local media showed pictures of blackened bunk beds in the burned dormitory.

A resident known as Norhayati told a local television station that she saw the boys crying and screaming for help, and waving their hands out of the window when the fire broke.

Last updated Thu 14 Sep 2017