Witness heard cries for help from students

KUALA LUMPUR: The cries for help from Tahfiz Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah students haunts the memory of Shahirman Sharil, who witnessed the fire which broke out at the religious school at Jalan Keramat Ujung here early yesterday.

Shahirman, 39, who lives nearby the tahfiz centre, said it was about 5am when he heard the students crying for help.

“It was still dark outside, but I could see the third floor of the tahfiz centre was ablaze. With the help of nearby resident, I helped to bring out the students. As for those on the third floor, we told them to jump and we waited to catch them. Some of them already suffered burns. We did whatever we could before the firemen arrived,” he told Bernama when met at the scene.

As of 10.30am, 22 students and two wardens were reportedly killed in the fire at the tahfiz centre.

According to a Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue spokesman, six students and a member of the public were also injured in the incident.

Meanwhile, Mohd Hakimi Che Mamat, 38, who was among the first to arrive at the scene, said he tried to rescue the victims who were trapped in the building, but the grille at the door was locked.

“When I went into the building, it was about 5.20am I went up to the third floor, the place where the students sleep, the fire was burning, I tried to open the grill, but was not able to do it.

“The students were crying for help, and then a few others came to help, but there was nothing we could do,” said Mohd Hakimi who lived opposite the religious learning centre. — Bernama