kuala lumpur blaze islamic board school malaysian capital kill least 23 people thursday teenage boys cry help bar windows officials witness say fire break around 5.40 a.m. top-floor dormitory three-storey build firemen say students sleep bunk bed many windows cover metal grill one survivor say one window boys manage open two teachers also kill fire darul quran ittifaqiyah 15-minute drive iconic petronas twin tower kuala lumpur police say add victims die smoke inhalation young seven media say disaster renew call great scrutiny so-called tahfiz school students learn memorize quran unregulated education ministry responsibility religious department deputy prime minister ahmad zahid hamidi say least 31 fire report school malaysia since 2011 add must follow safety regulations continue carry investigations especially forensics find security feature comply zahid tell reporters outside school fire department operations deputy director soiman jahid say cause likely short circuit mosquito repellent coil dormitory one entrance leave many victims trap say build surround metal grill could open inside students realize fire heavy smoke try escape window soiman say outside school grill could escape soiman say school submit request fire safety approval new check carry request still process pupils get lock escape get burn nadia azalan sister 13-year-old victim tell reuters tear distraught family members gather outside build safety come first mohamad arif mawardi 24 sleep one low floor say realize fire hear people shout want help others fire rampant nothing could say 13 boys manage open window escape arif say 13 access open window could escape say man identify hazin live next door school say son call fire department hear scream saw flame children cry help help door already fire say view outside tell-tale sign disaster blacken upper-floor windows otherwise tin-roofed build appear unscathed malaysian flag hang limply yellow wall inside intensity inferno become clear dormitory blacken line char frame bunk bed tahfiz school scrutiny since early year 11-year-old boy die report abuse johor north singapore boys 'cried bar windows islamic school blaze kill 23 malaysia